


what we make

by cosmotron



Category: Life Is Strange (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Timelines, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, Blood, Crossing Timelines, Drug Use, F/F, F/M, Friends to Lovers, Friendship, Geeky References, Multiple Endings, Original Character(s), Polarized AU, Polarized Spoilers, Recreational Drug Use, Suicide, Time Loop, Time Travel, Will Tag Characters as Added, not bts compliant, pricefield
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-01-11
Updated: 2018-01-12
Packaged: 2018-05-13 03:02:44
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 7
Words: 74,493
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5692165
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cosmotron/pseuds/cosmotron
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Unsatisfied with the two choices presented to her, Max makes a third one. Given another chance, can she actually make things better, or will it end up all the worse?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. No Fate

**Author's Note:**

> Both the story and first chapter titles are a reference to a Terminator quote: "There is no fate but what we make for ourselves."
> 
> I want to say straight up that I like the endings for Life is Strange. Both of them. They have flaws, but I still like them, and the final Polarized episode. That being said, I still feel that alternate takes on the finale are interesting, and I understand people's desire for more endings and more choices. So, for those who wanted that, you may like this fic because it will have no less than four endings. Don't want to get into too much here for fear of spoilers. So, enjoy.
> 
> Life is Strange and all related characters belong to Dontnod. Any music or quotes are the property of their respective creators; I make no profit off of this work. 
> 
> The following line: "And I travel backwards, through time and space and - " is from the song 'King Park' by La Dispute. 
> 
> Like with Life is Strange itself, I'll be peppering in songs in various ways. Some will be from the game, while others will just be songs that I think fit in, or are songs the characters would probably enjoy. Expect references to all kinds of geeky shit as well.
> 
> If you like, please comment and give kudos!

 

* * *

   SACRIFICE CHLOE    -    SACRIFICE ARCADIA BAY 

* * *

 

_Everything is cold and wet, but Chloe’s mouth is warm, and she cries harder because she’ll never get to feel her warmth again._

_The wind howls in her ears – or is it the screams of the people she’s killing?_

“ _And Max Caulfield? Don’t you forget about me.”_

_“Max...I'll always be with you.”_

_She is curled on the bathroom floor, biting into her arm to keep from making a sound. She can’t breathe. She can’t hear anything, just curls up tighter._

_Chloe is gone._

_Chloe is BLEEDING on the floor behind her and she could stop it_

_but_

_she_

_c a n ‘ t_

_She can’t stop looking out the window. She did this to them._

_And she knows how they died._

_There wasn’t anyone to help Alyssa, or Evan, or the fisherman or the trucker._

_There wasn’t anyone to stop the diner from blowing up._

_What about Kate, alone in her hospital room?_

_Or David or Victoria or Frank or Taylor or Brooke or –_

_But there’s no one. She killed them._

 

_She_

_killed_

_them_

_a l l_

  

* * *

NONE OF THE ABOVE

* * *

 

“ _I – I can’t make this choice!”_

“ _No, Max. You’re the only one who can.”_

The wind whipped back her hair, her clothes, every gust an icy slap. She could feel the buzz of electricity in the air, running along her skin, making the hairs on her arms stand on end.

“Max.” Chloe’s hands grasped her own. “It’s time.”

Max shook her head, closing her eyes. “That’s it, then?” She looked up at Chloe again, laughing bitterly. “Those are my only options? Let _you_ die, or – or let everyone else die?” She swept her arm out in the direction of the town, and the tornado heading for it. “After – after everything? All the timelines and – and fighting to get back to you – all for _this_?”

“Max – “ Chloe stepped closer, but Max shook her head again.

“No.” Max gripped her fingers. “No. I don’t believe that. I _refuse_ to believe that.”

“Max, you have to.” Chloe held her hands just as tightly, shaking a little, her voice breaking. “We have to save everyone, and – “

“ _No_.” Max stepped back, still holding Chloe’s hands. “I’m not going to choose between you or – or the town! There _has_ to be another way!”

Chloe looked out at the tornado, and then back at her, slowly shaking her head. “I don’t think there is, Max.”

For a long moment Max just stared at her. Lightning flashed in the sky, and the rumble of thunder felt like it shook the ground, but all the other noise in the world seemed to quiet, almost like she’d frozen time again. Chloe was shivering, eyes red-rimmed from crying, and Max never ever wanted to forget the look on her face.

She stood on her toes, and kissed Chloe quickly. Chloe didn’t even have time to open her mouth and return the kiss; Max let go of her hands and stepped back, turning toward the edge of the cliff.

Chloe called out for her, grabbed her shoulder, but Max raised her hand, and rewound.

She didn’t know where she was going, _when_ she was going, but she had to go somewhere, had to try something.

Her vision blurred; pain shot through her, and blood dripped from her nose, but she kept her hand up. She reached forward, fingers straining, pulling time back in on itself. She closed her eyes as her body vibrated, her hold on time stretching in her grasp, like a rubber band ready to snap, but still she _pulled_.

Max heard the voices first, like static in the background, growing louder and louder the longer and harder she pulled. The voices were all around her – no, behind her? Everywhere? Soft and loud and all at once, in her mind and in her ear as the world dissolved around her.

_maxMaxMAX_

_Rachel in the dark room_

_RACHEL IN THE DARK ROOM_

_Chloe chloe CHLOE_

_God pUT ME ON THIS ROOF_

_Kiss me now_

_I LOVED HER S O  M U C H_

_It doesn’t matter now_

_Don’t kill us, Max_

_Nothing matters_

_HOW CAN SHE BE DEAD_

_WHAT KIND OF WORLD DOES THIS_

_Don’t look so sad._

_I love you, Max_

_WHO DOES THIS_

_I’m never leaving you_

_You’re_

_the_

_REAL_

_STORM_

The voices faded into the background as colors and shapes formed around her, building a world like in her nightmare. The voices were still there, like white noise on the edges of her mind, but her new surroundings were more distracting. It was the main hallway in Blackwell, with all the lockers, but someone had painted over all the walls, with just two words, over and over: NO FATE NO FATE NO FATE.

Max blinked, trying to focus on the words as the voices grew louder and louder again in her mind and her vision started to blur. Sometimes the words overlapped, spilling into each other, seemingly never-ending, except –

_You’re becoming like this force of nature_

_YOU KILLED CHLOE_

_\- deserves so much more than die in a storm in a FUCKING DINER_

_I’m so glad you’re my partner in crime_

_Could frame ANY OF YOU in a  d a r k  c o r n e r_

_As long as you’re my partner in time_

_GET THAT GUN AWAY FROM ME, PSYCHO_

Max staggered, catching herself on the wall. She took a few shaky steps forward, her palm gliding along the wall. She frowned, and then cocked her head to the side. The voices were louder coming through the door to Mr. Jefferson’s classroom, and she noticed, suddenly, looking up, that the door didn’t have NO FATE written on it.

She opened the door, and the world quieted. The voices still lingered, but all she could focus on was the scene before her.

No one took notice of her standing like a ghost at the front of the room. Jefferson sat - facing the female students, Max realized with a lurch in her stomach – giving that goddamn lecture _again_. What was the point of this? A reminder of her failures?

 _I can’t keep going through all this!_ Max thought in frustration, blinking back tears. She shook her head, stepping closer to the other her. There had to be something, _anything_ that she could do. There had to be a reason she was here.

As she watched, she saw the other Max nod off, seemingly only for a few seconds before jerking awake with a gasp. The other her looked around, panting a little, and then seemed to relax a bit. She took her selfie, only for Mr. Jefferson to ask her about the Daguerreian Process.

Max thought the answer automatically, but the other her tried to get out of answering it.

 _Wait…_ Max narrowed her eyes, watching her past-self cringe as Victoria insulted her. _Is this…is this the first time? Is this the first time I had the vision?_ Before she'd saved Chloe, before she'd rewound for the first time? Now that she thought about it, she hadn’t watched herself break her camera and rewind, either.

The other Max tried to walk out of the classroom, only for Jefferson to call her over, and again the other her didn’t give better answers, or get away from Jefferson’s lecture faster to save Chloe.

Max kept watching, desperation making her heart beat faster. What did this mean? Did it mean anything? What was the point of all this? But still, she watched as her past self walked slowly to the bathroom, watched as she took the butterfly photo, and watched as Chloe entered.

Max couldn’t take her eyes off of Chloe, or this memory of her. How couldn’t she have known who it was, that first time? How could she not have noticed all of Chloe's gestures, her voice, the way she glared – all the habits and expressions that Max knew by heart. Everything about her just screamed 'Chloe', no matter what color her hair was or what clothes she was wearing.

Max stood, kind of in the middle of it all. Her past self was behind her, hidden from Nathan's sight. Nathan and Chloe were arguing, getting more and more aggressive, and then Nathan drew the gun and backed Chloe up against the wall.

Max knew it was coming, knew it was going to happen, but she still flinched when the gun fired. _I promise, I won’t let that happen to you Chloe. I won’t._

She heard her own voice shout, and felt time pull back around her like she was doing it herself. Which…well, she sort of was, but that part was pretty confusing and Max didn't have time ( _hardy har, Max_ ) to think about it.

She was back in the classroom again, and it took her a minute to realize she was watching the same scene. She made the same mistakes, didn't change her answers, ducked her head as Victoria insulted her, stammered and looked at Jefferson with admiration. The other her again walked cluelessly toward the bathroom, again reached out to Chloe too late, and then the scene started over once more, depositing Max at the front of the classroom.

Max shook her head. “I don’t understand.” Then, louder: “I don’t know what this means!”

Of course, nothing answered her, and all Max could do was watch again.

“Come on,” she muttered to herself. She had to believe she was watching these things for a reason. _What does it mean? Why do I have to watch this?_

She tried to pay close attention to every detail, to see if she missed something, but she didn’t notice anything. She just kept getting answers wrong, and Max couldn't pick up or interact with anything – she could only keep watching.

 _I don’t understand. Is this Hell? Am I just going to watch this over and over and over again?_ Max shook her head, putting it in her hands. She didn’t get it! All that happened here was that she saw the vision of the storm, went to the bathroom, and saved Chloe! That didn’t –

– _Wait_. Max froze. Her thoughts felt like sand trickling through an hourglass. She’d gotten the vision _first_. Before she discovered her power, she’d seen a vision of the storm. Before she could rewind time, and before she’d saved Chloe.

That meant… _something_. Didn’t it?

The other her walked through the door again, but this time when Max followed her through to the other side, they went somewhere else entirely.

Max felt like she'd missed a step going down the stairs; she stared in horror as the door swung shut behind her, and she was left in the Dark Room once again.

 _Breathe, Max._ She told herself. _This isn't real. You aren't in the Dark Room. Everything is okay. Just breathe, and figure out what you're supposed to see here – and how to get back to save Chloe._

Nodding to herself, Max took in a few deep breaths, clenching her hands together to keep them from shaking. She couldn't see anything through the plastic partition – would she be re-living Jefferson taking photos of her? Nausea rolled in her gut at the thought, and she doubled over for a second, pushing past the sick feelings to walk forward and see what awaited her.

Max pushed aside the plastic, and stepped further inside.

For a second, she couldn't see anyone at all, and a burst of relief swept through her. Then she moved further in, and she spotted the figure lying on the ground, a bright source of color against the white backdrop.

“Chloe,” Max breathed in horror, and it was her, it was her and she was in the Dark Room, and for several seconds Max couldn't breathe at all. _Its not real,_ she told herself. _This isn't real. Chloe isn't here._

Max kept repeating that to herself, over and over in her mind as she walked close to the Chloe on the ground.

She was dead. Blood was still oozing out of the wound in her stomach, and bloomed out from around her head like some kind of hellish halo. She was staring straight up at the ceiling, her arms spread out to her sides, fingers half curled up.

Max couldn't move, couldn't tear her eyes away from Chloe, and she had to say it out loud now: “This isn't real. This – ” She took a shuddering breath. “This isn't real.”

She made herself step backward, still unable to look away, when Chloe's lips moved.

“The storm is coming,” she said. Her expression didn't change. She didn't move her arms or legs, did't turn to look at Max. Her voice was soft, almost a whisper, but when she spoke again it was louder. “The storm is coming,” she repeated.

Max swallowed, trying to make her voice work, to do something, but when she blinked Chloe was gone, and another girl was in her place.

It took Max a second to register what she was seeing, and then she recoiled, stepping back again, bile rising in her throat.

It was Kate. Her body was broken. Sharp bones stuck out of her legs, and her neck was bent too far to the side. Rivulets of blood ran down from her head, her neck, her arms, her legs. It had soaked through her white shirt, staining the material. Her hair was sticky with it, and blood dripped down from the corner of her mouth, too. She was also staring up at the ceiling, and did not move.

Max waited. She closed her eyes, shuddering as the smell of blood seemed to grow stronger, and when she opened her eyes blood was bubbling up from Kate's lips.

Her voice was even softer than Chloe's, and Max couldn't hear her at first. But she repeated her words, more loudly: “They are waiting for it. They're waiting for it. Waiting.” Her voice was thick, trembling, like she was crying. “They're waiting for it.”

Max blinked back the tears filling her eyes, and Kate was gone.

Rachel Amber was in her place. Chloe and Kate's bodies had been bloody, all the red so shocking against all the white, but there was no blood on Rachel. The sight was no less horrifying.

There was dirt on her. Around her legs and bare feet – wet dirt, more like mud, gritty and clinging to her pale skin and clothes. Leaves were in her hair, which was long and tangled and flared out around her. Max could see faint signs of bruises on her arms, wrists rubbed raw from being bound. There was no color in her face; it was as if it had bled out of her, leaving her ghostly, almost glowing. She wasn't looking at the ceiling, and instead to the side, not-quite at Max. Even her eyes were paler, cold.

Max knew what would happen, but with Rachel almost looking at her, watching her lips move while her eyes stared sightlessly sent a chill down Max's spine.

“Waiting,” Rachel said. “Waiting. Waiting in the Dark Room.” Slowly, ever-so-slowly, Rachel's gaze moved to land directly on Max. “The Dark Room,” she said again. White light – like a camera flash – flared suddenly in the room. When it faded, Rachel was gone too.

Now Victoria was lying on the cold floor. Her hands were bound behind her, her face pressed against the ground, knees bent awkwardly out to the side. She let out a sound that could have been a sigh or a laugh, or a quiet sob, and said: “You have to choose.”

This time Max felt herself responding, without even meaning to. “Ch- choose what? I – I can't choose between Chloe or the town, I – I can't! There has to be more I can do!”

Victoria's lips curled in a smile. “You have to choose,” she said again, and with a flash she was gone as well.

This time another Max was in her place. She wasn't lying on the floor, but sitting in a chair. There was a puncture wound in her neck, a trickle of blood rolling down her collarbone. Her head was limp, hanging to the side, and her eyes were closed. Her hands and feet were still bound.

“What do you want?” Max asked, watching for any sign of her other self moving or speaking. “What are you trying to tell me?”

The other her moved. Its shoulder twitched, and the head rolled up as the back straightened, and the other her looked right at Max. The other her's eyes weren't dead or cold; they were burning, and her voice was clear and loud as she said: “There is no fate but what we make.”

There was another flash of bright white light, so bright that Max had to close her eyes. When she opened them, the other her was nowhere to be seen, and this time no dead girls took her place.

 _And no more dead girls will,_ Max vowed. She took a step back, and when nothing else happened took another, and another. She turned and hurried out the heavy door.

Max looked around wildly as the door swung shut behind her, squinting in the sudden brightness. As her eyes adjusted to the light, she could see that she was in her dorm room, and the light – it was the morning sun streaming through the windows.

Like in the Dark Room, there was another her sitting in a chair, but this Max was alive and in her pajamas, bent over the desk.

It took Max a moment to realize that the other her wasn't moving. Unlike the bodies she'd seen in the Dark Room, this version of herself looked completely still. In fact, everything around her did. Was she in a moment of frozen time?

 _Now what does_ _ **this**_ _mean?_ Max thought as she looked around, trying to see something that stuck out to her. Her room seemed the same, for the most part. Alice wasn’t in her cage in the corner, so this was before Kate tried to jump. And there was the past version of herself sitting at a desk, putting a photo in her photo journal, and –

Max’s head turned back around so fast it probably should have hurt, but she didn’t care. She walked toward the photo journal on the desk, not even daring to hope.

But there, the page open on the desk…it was the selfie she’d taken the morning after she’d saved Chloe the first time, the morning of the day Kate would try to kill herself. October 8th.

 _Can it be possible?_ Max wondered. _Can I go back through a photo in my mind? In my memories? And what can I change if I do?_

Max didn’t know. She didn’t know what any of this meant, or what all of this was supposed to tell her. She didn’t know what she could do by going back through this photo. But she had to try. She leaned forward, and focused on it.

Every second it took it was harder to breathe. Her heart felt like it had stopped beating. It _had_ to work. It had to work. She had to do something...

And then she heard it. Noise. Just the faintest thing: the regular morning noise of the girl’s dormitory, and the birds chirping outside her window, and the photo seemed to get brighter, sharper, as the world around her faded and –

\- it all slid together, and she went back.

_and I traveled backwards_

Kate jumped, Max’s hands grasping empty air as everyone below screamed

_through time_

Nathan’s gun fired, and Chloe fell, and Max’s hand didn’t reach out to stop it

_and space_

Chloe’s eyes fluttered closed as the morphine swept through her

_and_

_MAXmaxmAXMAXMADMAX_

Lightning crackled in the sky

_YOU ARE ALL THAT MATTERS TO ME_

“Listen.”

_NO FATE NO FATE NO FATE_

“The storm – ”

_NO NO NO HOW COULD THIS HAVE HAPPENED_

“No matter – ”

_MAX HOW COULD YOU DO THIS TO CHLOE_

“The Dark Room – ”

_SHE LOST THEM BOTH, SHE LOST EVERYTHING_

Her own voice, in and out, like a badly tuned radio

_MORE TIME_

Her own voice telling her to  l i s t e n

“No fate – ”

_she had to go back AGAIN AND AGAIN AND  A G A I N_

“The storm and The Dark Room – ”

chloe is dead/chloe is alive/chloe is dying

“More – ”

on the beach/in the diner/in the junkyard/in the dark room/on the floor

_SHE KILLED THEM ALL_

she could see the storm behind her in the rearview mirror

“– time.”

_C H L O E_

time was frozen around her, she had to get them, had to save them all

_SHE’S DEAD BECAUSE OF YOU_

“ – find evidence – ”

_AND I’VE COME TO MAKE YOU PAY_

_just_

_a_

_little_

_bit_

_further_

_SHE CAN’T STOP THE STORM_

“ – need more time.”

 _Everything rushrushrushed at her from everywhere, it was EVERYTHING_ ,

she was dead/alive/going back again,

_kate was with her in chloe’s room/kate hit the ground/kate took her hand_

her voice telling her, telling her, showing her, storm/dark room/storm

chloe was falling/chloe was sleeping/chloe was kissing her/

_chloe’s body jerked as the shot tore through her and –_

Sunspots danced in her vision, and the light grew so bright she couldn’t see

anything

at

all.

(~-~-~-~-~-~-~)

Awareness came back to her slowly.

Max shifted, trying to blink her eyes open, but the light hurt too much. She kept trying, and each attempt was a little less painful, though the more aware she became the more she noticed her pounding head.

“Ugh,” Max groaned, shakily lifting her head and peering around the room, her eyes still half-closed. She could hear her phone buzzing on the desk, but she couldn’t see it anywhere. It took her a moment to realize that it was because she – or the old her, or the current her falling into the old her’s body, _man_ she was never going to fully understand this – had fallen off of the chair. She was on her back, her legs splayed awkwardly; one knee was still on the chair, hooked over the seat, while the other leg was on the floor.

Max blinked a few more times, her thoughts starting to come more quickly now. She got to her feet, a little clumsily, one hand holding herself up on the back of the chair as she looked around the room.

 _What is this?_ She thought, her mouth opening. All the other times she’d traveled back through a photo, she’d always been limited by the edges of it. She couldn’t leave the room, couldn’t stay for longer than that moment in time. But here…there was no border. It was like she really _was_ back, back to nearly the beginning.

Max curled her toes in the carpet, and walked to the door. She opened it, peering outside. She couldn’t see any signs of a border out there either, let alone splotches of red and white and shapes of burned film like in her nightmare.

 _How…_ Max thought, closing the door, looking back around her room again. _How could I do this? But if this is real – if this is real, I have another chance to change things. To save Chloe._ She'd needed more time, and she'd gotten it.

“No fate,” she said, and then she actually laughed out loud as she said the rest. “No fate but what we make.” She shook her head. _Is my mind trying to give me a message with a Terminator quote?_

 _God, Caulfield,_ For a second Max could hear Chloe in her head, could hear her laughing fondly. _You are such a geek._

Max shook her head, and took a deep breath. She walked over to her desk and picked up her phone, reading Chloe’s text, her thumb tracing over it.

Again, she could hear Chloe’s voice, from another time, as if she were standing right next to her. _You go, Super Max!_

 _I’ll do it Chloe,_ she vowed silently. _I’ll find a way._

* * *

 


	2. The Girl Who Leapt Through Time

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Title is a reference to the movie "The Girl Who Leapt Through Time", which is about exactly what it sounds like. It's also an excellent movie, and I highly recommend it. All of the chapter titles will follow a similar theme, and will be references to other movies/books/shows/etc about time travel. 
> 
> If you like, please comment or give kudos! Thanks so much to everyone that's taken an interest in this story - I hope you enjoy the ride.

 

* * *

 

 

Max paced restlessly in front of her bed, her phone pressed to her ear, waiting for Chloe to pick up. _Come on, come on._

She’d waited as long as she could bear to call, trying to figure out what her plan was going to be. Of course, with rewinding, she hadn’t lost any time, but she’d lost her patience. She knew what she was going to do, at least for now, and she needed to hear Chloe’s voice again, as proof that she was really here and alive.

Max’s heart leapt as Chloe finally answered.

“Hey Doc Brown, how’s it hangin’?” Chloe asked. “We still on for Two Whales?”

 _She’s alive._ Max could barely breathe. _She's alive._ Her throat felt tight, and she couldn’t swallow around the lump in it.

“…Max?” Chloe asked, when she didn’t say anything. “You there?”

“Chloe,” she managed, taking in a shaky breath, tears spilling out from her eyes.

“Whoa, Max,” Chloe’s voice changed immediately, going softer, concerned. “What’s wrong?”

Max tried to answer, but the words wouldn’t come. She let out another shuddering breath, just barely holding back a sob. She covered her mouth with her hand, tears falling thick and fast now. “Chloe,” she choked out. “I– I – ” she nearly screamed in frustration, but only cried harder. Why couldn’t she stop?

“Max, I’m coming.” Chloe’s voice took her out of her overwhelming emotions for a moment. “Where are you?”

Max took in a few deep breaths, trying to steady herself. “B – Blackwell.” She sniffled, and wiped her eyes with her wrist.

“Okay – what’s your room number?”

Again, Max had to take a second to gather herself. “219.”

“Okay.” Chloe’s voice felt so close, for a second she could feel her there, as her voice vibrated in her ear. “I’ll be there soon, Max.”

Max nodded, even though she knew Chloe couldn’t see it. She was still trying to relax her breathing and calm down, but the tears just kept coming. Talking to Chloe was helping, though. Talking to Chloe always helped.

“Hey,” Chloe said suddenly, “If you think we’re getting off the phone you’ve got another thing coming. You’re staying on the line with me, all right?”

Max actually laughed, smiling a little and wiping her eyes again. That answer was easy. “Always.”

(~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~)

“ – and then Justin starts singing some Adele song _into_ the toilet.” Chloe said, laughing again and panting a little – Max knew that she was climbing the stairs now, and would be up by the dorms in a minute. “And he kept having to stop to barf, but then he would just pick the song right back up again!”

Max laughed and sniffled. She wasn’t sobbing uncontrollably anymore, but she still hadn’t been able to stop crying, and Chloe had done all the talking. Max was glad for it. Every word, every _second_ she listened to Chloe’s voice, the tightness in her chest loosened just a little.

“Okay,” Chloe said, and Max heard a door open and close on her end. “I’m on your floor. I’ll be there in just a second.”

Max clutched the phone more tightly, nodding. “Okay.” She lowered the phone and ended the call, looking over at her door. She stood, still gripping her phone in her fist, and waited, listening. Was that footprints she was hearing now? She stepped closer to the door, hardly able to breathe.

Yes! Those were footsteps coming closer, and closer, and –

A knock sounded on her door. “Max?” Chloe called from the other side.

Max nearly tripped over herself getting to the door. She opened it with a shaking hand, and there she was. For a second all Max could do was take in the sight of her. The worried look on her face, the brightness of her hair, how fucking _pretty_ she was.

Then Max launched herself at Chloe, throwing her arms around her.

Chloe caught her too, like Max knew she would, even though she was obviously surprised.

“Max,” she said, and Max looked up at her, sniffling and blinking away the tears in her eyes. “What’s going on? What happened?”

Max let out a shuddering breath, closing her eyes, holding Chloe even tighter for a moment. Then she stepped back, and pulled Chloe inside by her hand, closing the door behind her.

“Chloe, there’s – ” Max hesitated, struggling to phrase it as best as she could. She laughed, wiping at her eyes again, and when she faced her Chloe was staring, looking even more worried now.

Max sat on the bed and pulled Chloe with her gently. Okay. She had to keep it together, _had_ to get Chloe to understand.

“A lot’s happened,” she began. “And Chloe, I – I need you to listen to me, okay? I know it’s going to sound pretty unbelievable…”

“More unbelievable than rewinding time? Don’t know how that’s possible,” Chloe quipped, squeezing her hands. “You’ve still gotta prove that one to me, you know.”

Max nodded. “I know, and I promise I will, whatever you need me to do. But first you’ve gotta listen to me, okay Chloe? Please. _Please_ listen to me.”

Chloe furrowed her eyebrows, and looked at her for a long moment. She nodded slowly. “Okay, Max.” She said. “I’ll listen.”

Max looked down at their hands, still clutched around each other, and began.

(~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~)

They leaned up against her bed, legs splayed out on the floor. Chloe's knees were drawn up to her chest, her arms wrapped around them. They hadn’t said anything for a few minutes now. Max had no idea what _to_ say, and wasn’t sure she could even talk anymore.

It hadn’t been easy. Of course, to Chloe the conversation hadn’t taken as long, but every rewind just steeled Max’s resolve. She _had_ to get Chloe to understand, had to tell her everything. There wasn’t any fucking thing they couldn’t figure out together, especially if they got more help too.

Chloe hadn’t believed her at first. Max managed to prove her rewind power similarly to how she had in the diner, but when it came to Rachel…Chloe had shouted her denial. Then, she'd wanted to make Nathan and Jefferson pay – make them hurt and suffer, and go charging out with no plan. So Max had to tell her about everything else too, about the Dark Room, being trapped there, Jefferson shooting her, everything with William and that alternate reality, like she had before (or like she’d never done, now, even though she remembered doing it).

It hadn’t been easy, but Chloe had listened. Chloe had stayed. Chloe had cried with her, and for a long time they just held each other, unable to say anything at all. They were still at that point, not talking, just staring blankly at the wall in front of them. They even seemed to breathe together.

“The storm…” Max said when she could talk again, and Chloe lifted her head off of her knees to look at her. Chloe’s eyes were red, and seemed bigger than usual, wide and worried about what else Max was going to say.

Max shook her head. “I don’t know what the answer is. Everyone and everything seems to be telling me that I’m – that you – ”

“That I’m supposed to die,” Chloe finished, her voice low and rough from crying.

Max nodded. “And we – we were standing there, and you gave me the butterfly photo. You t-told me that I could go back and change everything, stop the storm...and I was supposed to choose between letting – letting you die – ” Max hiccuped and wiped at her running nose – “Or – or letting the town die.”

“Max…” Chloe said softly, reaching forward and just barely brushing her arm with her fingertips, sending a short tingle through Max’s body.

“But I couldn’t.” Max shook her head. “I couldn’t let those be my only options. So I came back.”

“How?” Chloe asked. “I mean, I can’t pretend I understand…” she shook her head, exhaling slowly. “Any of this, but…”

“I think…” Max hesitated. “I don’t know for sure. I don’t know how I got this power, or, or anything, but it seems like I came back through...my own memories. I still used a picture to get here,” Max ran a hand over her head, fingers tangling in her hair. “But it was different, too. Normally when I do that it’s like – like I can’t leave the borders of the photo. I can’t leave the moment, you know? I’m just there to make whatever changes I make, and then I sort of…snap back to my body in the current time. But this is different.” She held out her hand in front of her, not enough to rewind, just to look at it. “I don’t know why it’s different, if it’s because I went through my own mind or, or whatever, because I’ve never felt any of those things when rewinding before. Or _seen_ any of those things…”

“What do you mean?” Chloe asked, drawing her knees closer to herself, wrapping her arms around them.

“It was like…” Max trailed off, trying to find words to describe it. “It was like I was everywhere, all at once, at all different times. I could see and hear and _feel_ things, things from my memories and - and things I’d never seen before.” She shook her head. “I don’t know.”

Chloe snorted, leaning forward and resting her head on her knees. “I don’t know what to say about any of this.”

“Me either,” Max put a hand over her eyes, leaning back against the bed. “And I lived through it.” She let out a slow breath. “And I think...I think there's more to the storm than I thought. More to it than – than you just having to die. I think there's...” Max paused, her eyebrows coming together. “I don't know – it might have been all in my head, but I think...I think there's a connection between the storm and the Dark Room.”

“A connection?” Chloe repeated. “What do you mean?”

Max shook her head again. “That's just it. I don't know.” She turned to look at Chloe, meeting her eyes. “And that's part of what we have to find out. The more I think about it the more I feel like I don't have the whole picture yet. At first I thought everything that I'd seen was telling me there were only two choices, but I don't think that's true anymore. There's more I need to understand, and if we figure it all out...we can get justice for Rachel and Kate and all those other girls. We can figure out the truth about the storm, and then maybe we can save the town.”

 _And you,_ Max thought. _I'll save you no matter what._

There was silence again for a few seconds. Max checked the time on her phone. It was still morning. Even though it felt like she’d been there for hours and hours talking to Chloe, it was probably closer to about two hours. She still had more to say, about her plans and telling other people, but she didn’t think that part would take as long. She took in a breath to speak, but Chloe beat her to it.

“I just can’t believe…” Chloe said slowly, and Max looked over at her again. “That you would do all this for me. All these things you said – the – the Dark Room, and these alternate timelines, and everything…I mean you don’t contact me for years and now you’re saying you did all of that? _Why_?” Chloe shook her head, wiping at her eyes with the heel of her hand. “Why would you do that for – for me?”

For a second, Max was back at the tornado, on that cliff by the lighthouse, wind rushing in her ears and rain pelting at her skin. _You are all that matters to me._

But the memory faded away, and she was left staring at a Chloe that she hadn’t kissed. A Chloe who hadn’t broken into Blackwell with her, investigated with her, found the Dark Room with her. She still felt the same. It didn’t matter what timeline she was in – Chloe was Chloe. But to this Chloe…Max had only been back in her life for a day.

“Because you’re my best friend,” she said, and well…that was true too. “I know I was an asshole, but I’m going to make up for it Chloe, I promise.”

“It…sounds like you already have,” Chloe replied, looking down at the ground and then back up at her again.

“So, you believe me?” Max asked, leaning a little toward her. _Please_ , she thought. _Please_.

Chloe didn’t answer at first, but she didn’t look away from Max either, holding her gaze. Then she nodded. “Yeah,” she said. “I believe you, Max.”

Max lets out a breath, and got on her knees, crossing the little space between them and hugging Chloe again. “Thank you,” she said softly, and she felt Chloe’s arms come up around her as well. It was actually a bit of a reversal from how they usually hugged. Since Chloe was taller, Max’s face always ended up at her shoulder. But Chloe’s face was pressed into her shoulder now, and she turned her head, her nose ghosting along Max’s collarbone, and Max felt the barest touch of Chloe’s lips as she breathed. Max’s stomach fluttered, and warmth seemed to spread from where Chloe’s breath hit her skin, going through her all the way down to her toes.

Max pulled back, her hands on Chloe’s shoulders.

“We can do this together,” Max said, keeping her eyes locked on Chloe’s. “But we’re going to need some help, too.”

“Help?” Chloe scoffed. “The police won’t do anything – “

“Trust me, I know,” Max fought the spike of anger she felt about that. “Nathan even being involved means that the police won’t do shit to help us. And most people aren’t going to believe us, but I know some people who will. Or at least, who I think will.”

“You think?” Chloe arched an eyebrow, sounding not the least bit convinced. She blinked rapidly, and Max knew she was fighting tears again.

Max shrugged. “This part I’ve never done before, but we need the help, Chloe.”

“ _Why_?” Chloe’s voice rose. “Everyone in this fucking town just – ” she clenched her fists, her whole body shaking. “I was the only one who kept looking for Rachel, and look what happened – look what happened because those motherfuckers didn’t do ANYTHING to help!” She got louder with every word, and she jumped to her feet and started pacing. Max was on her own feet seconds later, hands half up, ready to go and hug Chloe again.

“I know, Chloe,” Max said, trying to keep her voice level even as she also started to cry. “I know, Chloe, but we can get justice for Rachel, and we can’t do it alone – ”

“Why the fuck not?” Chloe rounded on her. “Huh? We don’t need anyone else, Max, and everyone else will just let us down – ”

“Because you’ll _die_ , Chloe!” Max snapped back, and Chloe’s mouth fell open. “It will just happen all OVER again! If people had come with us, or – or known where we were going, you wouldn’t have gotten shot by Jefferson, and I never would have ended up in the Dark Room!” A violent shudder worked its way across her body, and for a moment she could feel the duct tape tearing at the hairs on her arm, could feel the needle stabbing into her skin, and Jefferson’s voice in her head: _It’s like I say, Max: always…take…the shot._ Nausea rolled in her stomach, and she staggered, leaning against the wall, gagging.

“Max!” She heard Chloe come toward her, and felt Chloe’s hands rubbing up and down her back, holding her hair out of her face. “You okay?”

Max nodded, gasping and swallowing as the nausea faded. She wiped her forearm across her mouth, and said weakly: “You seem like you’re experienced in dealing with people who are about to puke.”

“Lots of practice,” Chloe replied dryly, with something of her typical humor.

“Living the punk rock life?” Max asked, and Chloe actually chuckled a bit at that one. The gentle rubbing motion of her hands slowed, and one of them came to rest on her lower back. It felt very warm, and Max didn’t want her to move her hand.

“…I’m with you on this, Max,” Chloe said, taking Max out of her thoughts. She straightened, and turned to look at Chloe. “Whatever you want to do,” she finished. “I’m with you, Super Max.”

Max reached down and grabbed Chloe’s hand. “I’m with you too, Chloe,” she vowed, and Chloe squeezed her hand once, and then let go.

“Well then, fearless leader,” Chloe said with a little of her usual bravado, “What now?”

Max squared her shoulders, taking a deep breath. “Now, we go see Kate.”

(~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~)

Max hesitated outside Kate’s door, her hand raised to knock. She was cutting it close, but she hoped Kate hadn’t already left her room. She glanced down the hall, by the door where Chloe was waiting. She needed to talk to Kate alone first, convince her that she could trust Max, trust Chloe, and trust Warren. The four of them together had to be better than her and Chloe alone – it _had_ to make a difference.

Max knocked.

After a few seconds she heard Kate’s voice from the other side: “Wh-who is it?”

“It’s Max,” Max replied, stepping closer to the door. “Can I come in?”

“Did you bring my book?” Kate asked.

 _Shit. I forgot about the book!_ She could run and go grab it…or just try to make Kate listen. Max shook her head. If she had to, she’d rewind. “Um, no, I’m sorry. I forgot it, Kate. I – I promise I’ll get it to you later, but I…I need to talk to you.” Max pressed closer, her face almost against the door. “ _Please_.”

Max waited, holding her breath, and then she heard noises in the room – Kate getting up and walking toward the door. She stepped back as Kate opened it.

“After you stepped up and defended me from David yesterday, how could I say no?” Kate asked, and she sounded slightly happier as she said it. She moved aside and gestured for Max to come in.

Max went inside, closing the door behind her, and followed Kate over to her desk, where Kate sat down. She looked sickly-pale in the dim lighting, and though she tried to smile, she couldn’t keep it up for long.

“Wh-what do you want to talk about?” Kate asked, avoiding Max’s eyes.

Max took a breath, and faced her directly. “Kate, there’s something I want to tell you. And it’s probably going to freak you out, and it’s not going to make any sense, but I need you to listen, and trust me, okay?”

Kate stared at her in confusion. “I don’t understand what you’re talking about, Max, but…” she gave a humorless smile. “You’re one of the only people I feel like I _can_ trust around here. What do you want to tell me?”

“Thank you, Kate. I’m so glad that you trust me.” Max hesitated. “So, I know you’ll have questions, and I promise I’ll explain everything.”

“I still don’t understand, Max,” Kate said. “Please, just tell me what you’re talking about.”

“Okay.” Max braced herself; she hated just…unloading all of this onto Kate all at once, but she had to do it. She said the first part in a rush: “I know what happened to you the night of the Vortex Club party.”

The effect of her words was immediate. All the color seemed to drain from Kate’s face, and she gaped at Max, her mouth open a little. “H- How did you…?”

“I promise I’ll explain later, but the point is: I know that you were drugged. I know that you were…” Max swallowed, pushing away her own memories of the Dark Room. “…taken to a place with bright light. I know that something terrible was done to you, and I know that you’re feeling scared and alone.” Max leaned over, putting her hand on Kate’s arm. “But you’re _not_ alone, Kate, and I want to help you get justice.”

Kate continued to stare at her, her eyes filling with tears. “Max…I – I don’t – ” Kate took a deep breath, turning her head and wiping her hand across her eyes. “I haven’t told anyone about what happened. But what you just said, it – I’ve been wondering if I w-was drugged.”

“You _were_ drugged.” Max got on her knees on the floor, putting her hand on Kate’s arm again. Kate met her eyes, and Max held her gaze as she went on. “You’re not the only victim. Together we can keep anyone else from being hurt, and we can make the people who did thispay for what they’ve done.”

“But – but if you know who did it, we should go to the police!” Kate’s voice rose, even as it shook.

“I know, Kate,” Max said, trying to keep her voice as gentle and calm as possible. “But the police around here aren’t going to help us. That night…Nathan Prescott said he was going to take you to the Emergency Room, right?”

Again, Kate gaped at her. “How…” She shook her head. “Yes. That’s one of the few things I actually r-remember about that night.”

Max rubbed soothingly on Kate’s arm with her hand. “That’s why we can’t tell the police. Nathan’s involved, and the Prescotts own the police force. They’ll cover up _anything_ to protect their family name.”

Kate’s eyebrows pulled together, and her eyes filled with tears again. “But – but then how can we get justice?”

“I have a plan,” Max promised. “And like I said, I’ll tell you everything, but we’re gonna need some help if we’re going to do this. And to get their help…” Max hesitated again. “They’ll need to know what happened to you. You don’t have to tell them if you don’t want to,” she assured her, even as guilt clawed at her for even asking this to begin with. “If you want to, I can tell them. But we need to have all the information to do this. And – and if you _really_ don’t want anyone else to know, then we won’t. But I know you can trust these people, Kate, and together we can get justice.”

Kate scoffed. “First you tell me not to go to the police, and then you say to tell complete strangers about all of this!”

“Not complete strangers!” Max said hurriedly, wincing. “You know them both. Chloe Price and Warren.”

“Warren?” Kate’s surprise seemed to distract her from her anger. “And Chloe Price…I didn’t know that you even knew her.”

Max smiled a little. “I’ve known Chloe for…pretty much my whole life. And I _swear_ that you can trust them, Kate.”

Kate didn’t say anything, but neither did Max, waiting for her response. Kate looked down at her folded hands in her lap, fidgeting a little in her chair. Max kept waiting.

“I still don’t understand any of this,” Kate said at last, her voice low. “But…you keep being here for me.” She nodded, closing her eyes and exhaling before opening her eyes again. “I trust you,” she finished firmly. “I’ll do what you’re saying.”

“ _Thank you_ , Kate,” Max said, squeezing her arm. “Can you meet us down in the parking lot in about – ” Max checked her phone – “Twenty minutes? We’re going to go to Chloe’s house, and I’ll explain _everything_ there.”

Kate gave her another long look, and then nodded. “Okay. Yeah. I can do that.”

“Good.” Max squeezed her arm again and stood up. “I’ll see you soon. We’ll get justice Kate. Together.”

“You sound so sure,” Kate replied, shaking her head. “It…” She laughed a little, her eyes tearing up again. “It makes me want to believe that too.”

“You _can_ believe it,” Max insisted. “Together we can figure everything out.”

Kate didn’t say anything else, and Max didn’t know what she could say.

“See you soon,” she told her instead, and she went out the door.

As she closed Kate’s door behind her, Max saw Chloe at the end of the hall. She was waiting by the door to the stairs, leaning up against the wall. She looked up as Max approached, and stepped away from the wall, hands in her pockets.

“How’d it go?” She asked. Her eyes were still a little red, and her tone flat, like she’d completely calmed down and wasn’t bothered anymore. Max knew better. That’s how Chloe sounded when she was so upset she was on the verge of shutting down. _I’ll be here to help keep that from happening,_ she told herself.

“Kate’s gonna meet us down in the parking lot in twenty minutes,” Max answered. “Now we just have to talk to Warren.”

Chloe’s face became a little more pinched at that. Before, Max wouldn’t have understood why, but now? She knew that Chloe was jealous. Chloe had always tended to cling to people, and that was especially the case after everything with her dad, and Max leaving, and then Rachel disappearing. But Max wasn’t going anywhere, and she was going to make sure Chloe knew it.

“Chloe,” Max grabbed her hand, immediately cursing herself when she saw the startled expression on Chloe’s face. This Chloe wasn’t used to Max grabbing her hand so much, or even touching her as much as she had been. After they’d kissed, all these invisible lines that had been in place for touching each other had seemed to vanish, but that hadn’t happened here, might not _ever_ happen here. She could remember exactly how Chloe’s lips felt, but now it hadn’t happened, and Max wasn’t sure if that meant that it had ever happened at all.

“Chloe,” she went on, “You know I can’t do this without you, right?”

Chloe didn’t say anything, and didn’t look at her for several seconds.

“Seems like you could manage _just fine_ without me,” she said finally, and Max recognized that tone too. She was trying to pick a fight.

“No,” Max insisted, and this time Chloe looked at her. “Chloe…you’re the reason I discovered my power in the first place, remember? Without you, that never would have happened.”

“What do you mean?” Chloe asked, a little hitch in her voice. “That we’re connected, or – or whatever?”

For a moment, Max could hear Chloe’s voice from another time. _We’re obviously connected._

“Definitely,” she told her, and Chloe actually smiled a little as they started through the door and began walking down the stairs.

“Come on,” Max said, pulling her along. “Let’s – ” She stopped, shaking her head. It was like whatever she’d been going to say had just popped out of her mind. She felt tired, suddenly, and she wobbled on her feet.

“Max?” Chloe came around in front of her, her eyes going wide. “Oh, shit. Max, your nose – ”

Max reached up, feeling the blood trickling down to her upper lip. “It’s fine,” she said, though her tongue felt slow and heavy in her mouth. “It’s – ”

Like someone pulled the ground from under her feet, Max fell, her knees buckling under her as her vision swam. She could vaguely feel Chloe supporting her, talking to her, and Max shook her head like a wet dog, trying to clear it. Her eyes fluttered as she fought to keep them open, but she couldn’t do it for long and everything went black. The last thing she heard was Chloe’s voice, ringing in her ears, calling out her name.

* * *

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chloe's story about Justin singing Adele while drunk and sick is actually based on personal experience. Not mine, thankfully, but at a New Year's party two of my friends drunkenly sang "Someone Like You" in between bouts of puking, haha. 
> 
> I'm doing my best to balance out the needed explanations (because having everyone immediately believe Max would make no sense) without boring readers by continually going over information they already know. Still, I want to handle the characters' reactions as realistically as I can, so I hope I'm doing that well. 
> 
> The next update might be a little late because I'll be out of town, but I'll also work hard to get it done on time, or a little early if possible, so we'll see.


	3. Days of Future Past

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter title is taken from the comic book and movie "X-Men: Days of Future Past". 
> 
> There will probably be a delay before the next update, since I'm going to be out of town for four or five days. I'll work on this while I'm out of town if possible, but I might not be able to, so we'll see. 
> 
> Thanks so much to everyone that has been reading and commenting and bookmarking this story. It really truly means a lot. I hope I don't disappoint.
> 
> Enjoy.

* * *

 

“ _Max!”_

Everything flickered before her – _through_ her – like film on a reel. She was everywhere and nowhere, watching and feeling and seeing all the things she’d done and hadn’t done, and she remembered, but she didn’t, and they were there all around her bright and LOUD and calling out to her -

“ _Listen – ”_

_she watched the storm in the rearview mirror_

_don't you forget  a b o u t  m e_

_chloe was lying dead in the street_

“ _\- storm and the dark room - ”_

_N O  F A T E_

_one by one they fell behind her_

“ _the truth - ”_

_her hand grasped empty air as kate plummeted_

_the storm roared over them, and chloe's hand slid out of her own_

“ _\- still coming - ”_

_and I know you have a h e a v y  h e a r t_

_the other max looked at her, and opened her mouth and -_

_I can feel it_

_when_

_we_

_kiss_

_they were under the covers and max kissed chloe in the darkness_

“ _\- change - ”_

_people were running and screaming, there was no way they'd all make it out_

_a doe standing in a junkyard, rachel's body buried beneath it_

“ _You have to choose, Max.”_

For a moment she drifted; at first everything seemed so bright she couldn't see at all. She blinked, and the brightness faded a little. She blinked a few more times, and the world started to come into focus, and the light became less and less harsh. As it did, Max realized that she was staring up at Chloe's face.

The florescent lights behind her head seemed to frame her, almost make her glow, and as Max's vision sharpened she couldn't help but stare. Without even thinking about it, Max reached down, feeling for her bag and the camera inside it.

It took Chloe a second to understand what Max was doing; she made a face and rolled her eyes, but when Max brought the camera up and focused the lens, Chloe's expression softened, and she smiled, just a little.

Max took the picture. She shook it out and glanced at it – in her opinion, pictures of Chloe pretty much always turned out well – and then looked back up at Chloe. Neither of them had said anything, and when Max cleared her throat it somehow seemed too loud.

“Um, how long was I out?” She asked. She was lying in Chloe's lap, legs splayed out awkwardly on the stairs. Chloe's hands were on her shoulders, thumbs rubbing them soothingly.

“Maybe a minute,” Chloe shrugged. “And I, uh, cleaned you up a bit too.”

Max reached up, feeling around her nose, but there wasn't any blood left. “Oh. Thanks.”

“Sure.” Chloe wasn't looking at her anymore, or was deliberately not doing so. Her hands were still at Max's shoulders, though, and even the smallest brush of her fingers was very distracting.

Max sat up, pushing herself to her feet with a grunt.

“You okay?” Chloe asked, standing as well, and Max turned on the stairs to face her. Chloe seemed even taller than usual, up on a higher step.

“I'm fine,” Max replied easily with a slight smile. “C'mon, let's go.” Max started to reach her hand out to Chloe, and then stopped herself. Chloe had seemed weirded out the last time she did that.

“Right, so you fainted for no reason?” Chloe snorted, crossing her arms. “What happened, Max?”

Max hesitated. She looked down at her hands, and then up at Chloe again. “...I don't know. I saw...a lot of things.”

“Things?” Chloe repeated, walking down to stand on the same step as her.

Max shook her head. “I don't know,” she said again. “It was like...” she paused, trying to find the words to describe it. “It was like when I came back here, through my memories, even though...they didn't all feel like my memories. But they seemed so _real_. I could – I could feel all of it, could hear everything so loud in my ears.” She shuddered a little, a chill going down her spine as she remembered it all. “I don't know. It's all so jumbled in my head.” Some things stood out sharply to her. Chloe, dead, in so many ways. Grasping for Kate's hand. The storm, so loud, behind her and over her and in front of her and more. “And I heard my own voice,” she added. “Talking to me.”

Chloe's eyebrows came together. “You're hearing your own voice talking to you? Saying what?”

“I don't hear all of it.” Max ran a hand over her head, which was aching a little. “Just bits and pieces, and it's hard to understand. And when I try to remember it, it's like – like trying to remember a dream.” She shook her head again.

For a few seconds there was silence. Chloe sighed, and Max jerked in surprise as Chloe took her hand, and started leading them down the stairs.

“C'mon, Max,” she said. “We'll figure this shit out later.”

Max smiled, and tightened her hold on Chloe's hand. “Together,” she agreed.

Chloe didn't say anything, but as they drew level with each other and reached the bottom of the stairs, Max saw that she was smiling too.

From there they stepped out into the sunshine, and for a second Max couldn't believe that she was really here. Really back. Victoria and Taylor were standing under a tree and laughing about something. Brooke was walking across the grass. Samuel was feeding his squirrels, Alyssa was reading on a bench. It was as if the storm and the Dark Room and Kate jumping and - and _everything_ hadn't happened at all. Because it hadn't. It hadn't happened. She remembered it, but it hadn't happened.

Max forced herself to focus on what she was doing. She couldn't keep getting...tripped out by all of this. She had to be ready for anything if she was going to save Chloe, and the town.

While she walked, she reluctantly let go of Chloe's hand to type and send a text to Warren: _Warren. Remember what I was starting to tell you in the parking lot? There's more, and I need to tell you about it. Something bad is happening in Arcadia Bay, and at Blackwell. It's going to be a lot to take in, but I need you to trust me. Please._

She waited anxiously for a reply, checking her phone as they made their way toward the parking lot. When she raised her phone to check it again, she did a double-take, spotting Warren standing just a few feet ahead of them.

 _That's right!_ Max thought, mentally slapping herself. _Today's the day Warren was waiting here to ask me to 'Go Ape' with him._

Warren didn't notice them approaching at first; he was looking at his phone – reading her text, Max assumed – his eyebrows furrowing, a little frown on his face. His black eye was still fresh, not mostly-healed like before – or, the night of the storm, Max corrected herself. There was no 'before', not here.

“Warren,” Max said as they stopped in front of him. He looked up in surprise, and Chloe backed off a few steps, her arms crossed, looking away from them.

“Oh – Max,” Warren said, smiling a little before becoming serious. “I just read your text. What you're talking about sounds pretty huge.”

Max couldn't help but laugh a little. “You have no idea. Can you meet us – ” She gestured to herself and Chloe “ – and Kate in the parking lot in about fifteen minutes? We're going to head to Chloe's place, and I promise I'll explain everything there.” She paused, and then added: “Please, Warren. I know it's a lot to take in, and I'll do everything I can to make you believe me – ”

“Max,” Warren cut across her. “I'll be there.”

A rush of gratitude filled her chest. Warren really was a wonderful friend. “Thank you, Warren. I – _thank you_. See you soon.” Max nodded at him, and then started heading toward the parking lot again, Chloe walking in step with her.

Max's thoughts raced ahead as they approached Chloe's truck. Warren was going to listen to her. Him and Kate were coming, and she'd do everything she could to make them believe her. Then, it was time to start figuring out what was really going on – if Chloe was really meant to die, if the storm and the Dark Room were connected somehow.

Together, they could find out the truth, and Max could save Chloe – could save the town.

“Kate and Warren aren't the type to be late, so they should be here soon,” she told Chloe as they stopped in front of her truck. “And if they're willing to miss some class, we can start trying to figure all this out.”

Chloe didn't respond, and Max looked over at her. She was staring at the box of Rachel Amber MISSING posters in the bed of her truck.

“Guess there’s no _fucking point_ to these any more,” Chloe said, giving the box a hard push and tipping it over so that the posters spilled all over the truck’s bed. She gripped the side of her truck, shoulders stiff, staring down at the overlapping posters.

“Chloe…” Max began, stepping toward her with her hand outstretched, but Chloe just tensed further.

“ _What_ , Max?” Chloe asked, whirling around at her. There were tears in her eyes again.

Max didn’t say anything, just stared back at her in concern, and Chloe’s shoulders slumped. She ran a hand over her face, shaking her head and leaning over the truck’s bed again.

“Max, I just…” Chloe gave a deep, shuddering breath. “I just need a minute. Please.” Her voice got quieter on the last word.

Max resisted the urge to go over and comfort her. She knew that Chloe sometimes needed time by herself when she was angry or upset. And she wouldn’t get much of a chance for that, not with Warren and Kate on the way.

“Yeah, of course,” Max reassured her, backing away and keeping an eye out for Warren and Kate. The silence was a little awkward, and she kept looking over at Chloe, but she didn’t say anything.

The quiet, combined with Max's own anxiousness, made the wait seem longer than it was. Max found herself continuously checking her phone, crossing and uncrossing her arms, standing on her toes to peer around for any sign of the others approaching.

She spotted Kate first, her distinctive bun catching Max's eye. Warren was walking with her, and talking with her. Kate still seemed withdrawn, but she was nodding at Warren and making eye contact, and Max could see her responding to him as well. They seemed to notice Max watching them head toward her; they both started walking faster.

Chloe stood up as they got closer, her face rather blank, though her eyes were red again.

“Hey Kate, Warren,” Max said as they stopped in front of them.

Kate looked down at the ground and then back up, and nodded in response, hands fiddling with her skirt.

“Hey,” Warren said back, waving a little.

“Um, so if you guys can just follow us – ” Max gestured to the truck behind them. “ – to Chloe's house. And once we're there I'll tell you everything. I promise.”

Kate and Warren glanced at each other, and then at Max again.

“I...really don't understand any of this, Max,” Kate said, looking down at the ground once more, holding her purse tightly at her side. “But, I – I want to hear what you have to say. And I – I trust you.”

“Thank you, Kate,” Max said, stepping toward her and grabbing her hands, squeezing them, warming the other girl's fingers.

“I trust you too, Max,” Warren told her. “There's something big going on here, and I want to help.” Max smiled at him gratefully.

“Thank you,” she told him. Chloe – who hadn't really even looked at either Kate or Warren – walked around to the other side of her truck, and climbed in the driver's seat, shutting the door hard.

“Just follow behind us,” Max told Warren and Kate again, waving goodbye and getting in the passenger's seat.

They waited in silence once more, watching Kate and Warren get in Warren's car, which was a little further in the parking lot. They got in, and Warren started it up. Almost immediately, Chloe started hers, and – a little too quickly for Max's comfort – drove them out of the parking lot, and onto the road, Warren's car staying close behind them.

(~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~)

“Step-shit should be at Blackwell all day,” Chloe said as they all walked inside her house. “So we should have the place to ourselves.” Her tone was flat, and she was barely looking at any of them, but she was talking. Max hoped that was a good sign.

“You have a nice house,” Kate told her quietly, but sincerely.

Chloe opened her mouth to respond, and then stopped herself. “...Thanks.” She said, and Max knew that that wasn't what she'd originally been going to say. Without another word, Chloe started heading up the stairs, not even glancing back at them.

“Um,” Warren said as they watched her head up to her room. They heard her shut the door loudly, not-quite a slam. Warren lowered his voice. “Is she okay?”

Chloe would have taken offense at the question, or gotten angrier, but Max could hear his real concern and confusion. “...No,” Max answered honestly, looking down at her right hand. “She's not.” Max took in a slightly shaky breath. “She's not okay, and I'm not okay, and – and after what I tell you guys, you probably won't be either.” Max clenched her hand, and turned to look at the other two. “But we can work together to try and make it okay. Make it better.”

Warren and Kate exchanged glances. Kate seemed worried and apprehensive, her eyes kind of wide, while Warren looked torn between curiosity and confusion.

“Come on,” Max jerked her head up the stairs and started walking, the other two following behind her.

Chloe was already smoking, laying on her bed, legs dangling over the end. As Max stepped further into the room, she turned to see Warren and Kate taking it all in. Chloe's room was quite a sight the first time, and Max hadn't even thought about how Kate might be uncomfortable around Chloe smoking.

Thankfully, Kate didn't seem too bothered, though her nose wrinkled at the smell. Warren didn't seem to care about the pot at all, staring instead at the many different pictures and posters on the walls, including, Max noticed, with mild surprise at the naked women.

Kate moved to hover by the desk, her hands clutching at the bag on her shoulder, looking out the window.

Warren swung his hands awkwardly, scratching behind his head and looking between all of them. He opened his mouth to say something, but Chloe sat up and beat him to it.

“Well?” Chloe gestured at Max for her to start talking. She wasn't looking at anyone, her movements tight, like a guitar string ready to snap.

Kate and Warren immediately focused on her, and for a moment Max felt – appropriately – like a deer in the headlights.

“Um,” She said, and she mentally facepalmed. _Way to sound confident and like you know what you're talking about, Max,_ she thought. “Uh, well...you guys might...you might want to sit down. There's – there's a lot to say, and...” Max sighed. “You just...you might want to sit down. Um...” She looked around for places for them to sit. There was the computer chair, but that was only one seat. Chloe was in the middle of her bed, and either didn't notice that she was taking up too much room, or didn't care.

Warren took one look at the seating situation and plopped himself down on the floor, crossing his legs.

“Oh – Warren,” Kate said, walking closer to him. “You don't have to sit on the floor.”

Warren waved a hand. “Nah. It's cool. I'm all buff and limber and stuff.” He flexed exaggeratedly.

Max snorted, smiling, while Kate actually laughed a little as she sat in the desk chair. Then her eyes were on Max again, and Warren was looking at her too, and now so was Chloe. For a second, all Max could do was look back at them. She took a deep breath and let it out.

 _There's no easy way to tell them any of this,_ Max thought as she steeled herself to speak. _So I might as well just begin._

(~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~)

It took time – _oh, you so punny Max –_ to convince Warren and Kate about her powers. Well, it took time to convince Kate. Warren believed her pretty quickly, and pretty eagerly, like he had in her memories during the storm. It was almost like he'd been waiting for something like this to happen to him.

 _Then again,_ Max thought, _I kind of was too._

Still, after all that Max had known about what happened to Kate at the Vortex Club party, and after correctly 'predicting' the contents of Kate's purse, (as well as Warren's pockets, and the exact color and type of the next three cars that drove by the house), Kate had started to believe Max. To _really_ believe her, about her powers.

“But Max...” Kate shook her head. Her eyes were wide, and she kept looking at Max's right hand. “How – how did you get this power? _Why_ did you get this power? What does it have to do with – with my video?”

“Everything and nothing, Kate,” Max replied solemnly. “It's more than just my power. There's something bad happening in Arcadia Bay – and even more bad stuff is going to happen, and it all ties together.” She laced her fingers with each other for emphasis. “And...” Max hesitated, but then went on. “Kate, if you can, now would probably be the best time to talk about what happened the night of the party. But if you want me to do it I can,” she added.

For a moment Kate seemed at a loss for words. She looked at Max, at Chloe, at Warren, and slowly nodded. “N-no. I can do it.”

As Kate told the other two her spotty memories of that night, Max tried hard to listen for any details she might have missed.

“At first it – it seemed like a hospital,” Kate explained. “It was so white and bright...”

Max blinked, shaking her head, as the memory of the brightness of the Dark Room flashed before her eyes.

“And someone was talking to me, softly,” Kate went on, her voice trembling.

Max could hear it all – could hear HIM – so perfectly in her head. _Oh, Max. These final sessions with you..._

Nausea rolled in her stomach, and Max shivered, trying not to gag. For a second she could feel the tape around her wrists – she couldn't MOVE, couldn't do anything, she had to get out of here, she _had_ to save Chloe, and Jefferson was coming toward her with a needle and he was smiling and smiling and –

Warren's voice snapped her out of it, making Max blink and focus on the conversation again.

“Kate...” Warren's eyebrows were furrowed with concern, and he'd gone pale at her words, his black eye standing out even more strongly now. “That's so...God. I'm so, so, sorry that happened to you.” He reached forward like he was going to put his hand on her arm, but then he seemed to think better of it, and withdrew his hand.

Chloe was looking at Kate too, her joint stopped halfway to her mouth. Max knew – or thought she knew – part of what Chloe was thinking: _that could have been her, too._

For a second Max could see it all so clearly: Chloe, dead, in the Dark Room, arms spread wide and eyes staring sightlessly.

Max swallowed hard, forcing back the image, and focused on Kate again.

“Max...you said you know what happened to me.” Kate met her eyes again. Her voice was shaking, but she wasn't crying. “Tell me. What did Nathan...did he hurt me?” The last words were quiet, almost a whisper.

“Nathan,” Warren said his name like a curse. “I knew he was an asshole, but I never thought he'd – ”

“Well he did,” Chloe cut across him before Max could speak. “He's done it before. He did it to Rachel, and – ” Chloe paused. “He tried to do it to me,” she finished.

Kate turned toward Chloe, mouth open in surprise. “He did?”

Chloe nodded, taking another hit off of her joint. “He slipped some shit in my beer. When I woke up he was holding a camera. Taking pictures of me.”

Kate's hands went to her mouth. Warren looked like he was going to be sick.

“Is that...is that what he did to me, too?” Kate looked at Max again. “And Chloe, you said – you said he did this to Rachel Amber?” Her eyes widened. “Is that – is that why she went missing?”

Chloe's face darkened. “She didn't go missing,” she spat. “Rachel's fucking DEAD. Nathan killed her, and we're going to make him _pay_.”

“ _What_?!” Warren and Kate said at the same time.

“Hold on!” Max jumped in, holding up her hands before anyone else could speak. “There's more to it that you all need to understand – ”

“But if Nathan killed Rachel, we – we have to tell the police!” Kate insisted. “And – if everything you've said is true, we can tell the police about what happened at the party, and they can arrest Nathan – ”

“Fuck that, I want to kill the little bastard,” Chloe snarled.

“It's not just Nathan,” Max spoke louder over her, over both of them. Chloe glared at her, but then crossed her arms and looked away. Max knew that was probably the best response she was going to get from her right now. “It's not just Nathan,” Max repeated. “In fact, he's being manipulated into all of this.”

“So fucking what?” Chloe demanded. “That doesn't excuse ANYTHING he's done – ”

“I never said it did!” Max shot back, frustration mounting in her. She _had_ to get them to listen to her, to understand. “But he's still being used like a puppet at the whims of someone else!” She took a deep breath. “And that 'someone else' is Mark Jefferson.”

Chloe – as Max had already told her – barely reacted to this, her eyes flicking up to look at Max and then away. Kate and Warren simply stared at her in stunned silence.

“Wait...” Warren said slowly. “Jefferson? That's – I mean...” he shook his head, seeming at a loss for words. He curled forward, holding his head in his hands, but Max was more worried about Kate.

She'd known it wouldn't be easy for Kate especially to believe her about all of this. With Chloe and Warren...even though it had been in another time, another life, she'd seen them believe her about seemingly impossible things. But with Kate...Max honestly wasn't sure how she would respond.

Kate's hands – which had gone over her mouth – slowly lowered. She hadn't looked away from Max the whole time, either. Now she searched her face, looking for...some sign that Max was lying, maybe?

After several long seconds, Kate nodded. “I don't...” She paused, letting out a shaky breath. “I still don't understand, but I...I don't think you're lying, Max.”

“I'm not,” Max told her. “And there's – there's more, if you guys are willing to listen.”

“More?” Warren asked weakly, laughing a little to himself. “Max, I think my brain's about to explode, but...I'll listen to anything you have to say.” He straightened, and looked at Chloe and Kate, and then Max again. “I want to help you.”

Kate looked down at her hands in her lap, and then back up again. “I don't know if I completely believe you,” she admitted. “But...I think I do. Tell us everything. If we can get justice for what N-Nathan and...and Mr. Jefferson have done...then I want to help, too.”

Max looked at Chloe now. She knew that Chloe wasn't going to suddenly tell her that she didn't believe her, but she still felt...anxious? Worried? Max wasn't even sure what she wanted Chloe to say or do, but Chloe met her eyes and then moved, making room for Max to sit next to her on the bed.

Max sat down beside her, their hands so close they were almost touching. Max wanted to grab her hand, to hold her, but stopped herself.

Chloe seemed to read her mind, because she grabbed Max's hand in her own, their fingers curling around the other. “I'm with you, Max,” she said simply, and Max didn't have the words to describe how that simple sentence made her feel.

“Thank you,” she managed as tears burned at her eyes. She squeezed Chloe's hand, and then turned her attention to Warren and Kate. “Thank you,” she repeated. She took a deep breath, and told them everything, holding Chloe's hand the whole time.

* * *

 

 


	4. Continuum

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone. I can't apologize enough for the time between updates. Work had been keeping me very busy. Doesn't help that this chapter ended up being over *double* the length of the previous chapters. Hopefully the extra long chapter will make up for the wait on an update. 
> 
> The songs talked about in this chapter were "Santa Monica Dream" from the Life is Strange soundtrack, and "Youth", by Daughter. "Youth" is an excellent song, and it fits Life is Strange rather well. 
> 
> Jefferson's house is based around this picture: http://assets.dwell.com/sites/default/files/styles/article_photo/public/2012/12/14/into-the-woods-gambier-island-house.jpg?itok=p3avX4U6  
> I tried to make it both creepy and pretentious, and like a place people could actually see him living. I hope I succeeded: all feedback is appreciated. 
> 
> Chapter title comes from the TV series 'Continuum'. 
> 
> One of my favorite things to write about is Max and Chloe just hanging out with each other. It was one of my favorite parts of the game too. It's also kind of fun to write the investigating aspect of the game. I tried to keep it both realistic and interesting, so again feedback is appreciated. I also really enjoy writing this trippy imagery - the nightmare sequence in the game is visually stunning if nothing else, and writing similar sequences is very interesting. Oh, and the image of the twisting hallway was actually inspired by a specific dungeon in The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time. If you're not familiar with the game, this is what it looked like: http://n-europe.com/featuresgfx/halloween6.jpg
> 
> As always, please comment and enjoy.

* * *

 

“You...saw me jump?” Kate asked softly. She wasn't looking at anyone, her arms crossed tight.

For a second it was all so clear in Max's mind – Kate's broken body, the vivid red of her blood – and Max swallowed against the feeling of bile rising in her throat.

“Yes,” She said. “I had to rewind to get back far enough to stop you. Then my powers were failing and I couldn't go back. I managed to – to freeze time, and that's how I got on the roof with you.”

Kate didn't respond, still not looking at any of them.

“And – ” Max didn't know why she was going into more detail, but she couldn't seem to stop herself. “And – you, you said that God had put you on that roof, and that no one c-cared about you...” Max's voice hitched, and for a second she couldn't breathe around the lump in her throat. She blinked rapidly, trying to keep the tears back. She squeezed Chloe's hand tighter in her own, probably too tightly, but Chloe only squeezed her hand back. Max wasn't looking at her – wasn't looking at anyone besides Kate – but the heat and pressure from Chloe's hand felt like an anchor, holding her steady. Max swallowed, and let out a trembling breath. “But that's _not_ true Kate. It's not. We care, and – and your dad cares, and your little sisters, and – and Alyssa and Stella and Dana, and – and I know that everything lately has just – just been _shit_ , Kate, but you're not alone. You're not,” she repeated after a moment of silence that felt much longer.

She swallowed again, sniffling, and loosened her grip on Chloe's hand a little, waiting for Kate to say something, but she didn't. The seconds ticked by, and Kate still didn't say anything.

Max glanced at Chloe – her eyes were red-rimmed again, though she hadn't done any actual crying – and Warren – his eyebrows were furrowed with worry, and he seemed a bit teary as well – not sure what to do. She hesitated, biting her lip, and took in a breath to speak, when Kate stood up.

“Max, I – ” Kate stopped. She was still looking at the ground. Her hands wrapped around her upper arms, rubbing them like she was warming herself. “I – I need to go outside. Be – be alone, for a moment. Please.” She finally looked up at Max, only for a second, but long enough for Max to see that she was crying.

Max didn't know what to say; should she let someone who was suicidal go off by themselves? Would being by herself right now just make Kate feel worse, after everything she'd just heard? Okay, so it made sense that she'd need to be alone for a while to process it all, but –

“You can go out to the backyard, if you want,” Chloe said, interrupting Max's thoughts.

Kate nodded. “Thank you,” she said quietly, and then she was moving, going out the door and closing it behind her. Max listened to Kate going down the stairs, and strained her ears, trying to see if she could hear the sliding door open. She thought maybe she heard it, like a faint whoosh, but she wasn't sure. She definitely didn't hear the front door, so at least she knew that Kate hadn't decided to just leave.

“Uh,” Warren said, and Max turned her attention to him. He was still pale, and his hair was messy from the number of times he'd run his hands through it in disbelief, or held his head in his hands in shock. “Should we, uh – I mean, you said that today, in your timeline, that Kate tried to – to jump. Should we...should we let her be alone right now?”

Max shook her head. “I don't know. The last time I let her run off when she was upset, she...well, she ended up on that roof.”

Warren flinched at that, and Max felt Chloe shift on the bed beside her.

“She's not gonna do anything,” Chloe said, and both Max and Warren looked at her.

“How do you know?” Max asked. God, what if she was making a huge mistake? What if she was giving Kate opportunity -

“Because I know what it's like when you need to be alone,” Chloe replied, her voice flat. “Course, I've got lots of practice with the whole 'alone' thing,” she added bitterly.

Max looked down at their hands, still intertwined. “Chloe...” She said quietly, reaching forward to put her other hand on top of their clasped hands, so that she was holding Chloe's in both of her own. She didn't know what to say – if there was anything she could say – but she kept looking at Chloe until their eyes met. They held each other's gaze for a few seconds, and Chloe softened.

“Kate's not gonna do anything,” She repeated, more quietly. “Okay, so I don't know her like you do, but –”

“No, Chloe, it's – ” Max gave her a small smile. “You're right. She needs time to process all of this.” She squeezed Chloe's hand again, reassuringly, and then turned to Warren. “What about you, Warren? How are you, um, processing?”

Warren laughed a little, running his hands through his hair again. “I...kinda feel like I can't quite wrap my mind around it all, so there's that.” He turned serious. “But I believe you, Max. Everything you said, it – it makes a twisted kind of sense, you know? It sort of fills in the blanks on some stuff, like what happened to Kate at that party, and –” Warren glanced worriedly at Chloe (who stiffened, sensing what he'd been about to say) before hurrying on. “And – and everything,” he finished awkwardly. He was quiet for a moment, his arms propped up on his knees. “Thank you for telling me this, Max,” he said, meeting her eyes. “You trusted me with this, and it means a lot.” He smiled. “Time travel and conspiracies, corruption, mystery, and a big storm on the way. To think that I can help with that, help you, it's...it's like I'm part of history in the making. Thank you,” he repeated.

For a moment she felt as if she was back with Warren in the diner as the storm raged around them, and the words he'd said then. _How could there be a bigger moment in history? And I'm in the middle of it with you..._

“Thank _you_ for believing me,” Max replied. “Seriously, Warren. That means a lot too.”

He smiled wider, his eyes crinkling at the edges. “You got it, Super Max.”

She smiled back in response, but Chloe interrupted before she could say anything.

“If you two are done _flirting_ , maybe we can start figuring out how we're going to catch these fuckers,” Chloe said irritably.

Warren went bright red. “U-uh, I – I didn't, I mean, I wasn't – um –”

Max, on the other hand, wasn't flustered at all. “We can't discuss it until Kate's back,” she said sharply. “And we weren't flirting.” Out of the corner of her eye she saw Warren sort of droop a little, and she winced internally. Well, she could've handled that part a bit better, but Warren _did_ need to understand how she felt. Still... _Sorry, Warren,_ she thought.

Chloe's response was to take another hit off of her joint. She exhaled the smoke in a long sigh. She didn't look at either of them, her head a little bent, but she didn't let go of Max's hand either.

Max opened her mouth to say something, and then closed it. She ought to wait until they were alone to really talk about this with Chloe; it was personal, and not the kind of thing Chloe would probably feel comfortable discussing in front of Warren. _In fact_ , Max realized, _That's probably part of why she doesn't like him being around. She doesn't know him at all; even Kate she kind of knew before. Warren's practically a stranger to her._

“We're going to get justice, Chloe,” Max said finally, squeezing her hand a little. “If we all work together, we can do it. I know we can. And Warren's going to help us. And, and I think Kate's going to help us. We'll bring down Nathan and Jefferson, and find some way to stop the storm. We _will_.”

“I...” Warren spoke, to Max's slight surprise. He hesitated, looking at Chloe. “I want to do everything I can to help. What's happening is wrong, and I just...I want to help,” he finished.

There was a long silence. Chloe wasn't looking at anyone still, the line of her shoulders tense. She took another hit, and blew out a long column of smoke. Slowly, she nodded. She didn't say anything, but Max knew it was a step in the right direction.

She squeezed Chloe's hand again, and then let go of it, standing. Her hand felt kind of cramped and sweaty from being held so long, but it definitely wasn't something she wanted to take back.

“I'm going to go check on Kate, if you think its been long enough,” Max added to Chloe.

This time Chloe did look up at her, and she nodded again, but still didn't say anything.

Something tightened in Max's chest.

“We'll be back up soon,” she promised, keeping eye contact with her and offering a small smile. For a long moment Chloe looked at her, her eyebrows a little furrowed. “Yeah,” She said slowly. “See you soon.”

Max smiled a little wider, even though she was kind of surprised by the way she'd responded. She turned and nodded at Warren. “Be right back,” she said, and then she went out the door, closing it behind her.

(~-~-~--~-~-~-~)

Kate was sitting in the backyard, on the swing. She was holding the chain on both sides, her head slightly bent. She looked up as Max walked closer.

“Hey, Kate,” Max said softly as she stopped beside her.

“Hey, Max,” Kate said, just as quietly.

They were both silent for a moment, and then Kate drew in a shaky breath. “E-everything you've told me, it – it's all true, isn't it?”

“Every word.” Max replied seriously.

Kate nodded. “I know. I know it is. While I was sitting here I kept trying to – to think about other explanations for how you could know so much, or something that would tell me you made it up, or – or were delusional or something, but...”

“But?” Max asked gently.

Kate didn't answer immediately, looking at her feet. There was hardly any grass there, from the years Chloe and Max had spent playing as kids, kicking up all the grass by the roots as they swung, leaving behind patches of dirt. Kate rocked her feet back and forth on that dirt, swaying slightly.

Kate let out a shaky breath, and continued. “But I can't think of a reason why you'd do that. Why you would make any of it up, or how you could have. And what you did inside, knowing what was in my purse and Warren's pockets, and all the cars that passed – it had to be true. _Has_ to be true. Which means...” She hesitated, took in a breath and then let it out, and then turned to look directly at Max. “Which means you're right. I'm not alone. I'm not alone because Mr. Jefferson has done this before, to all those other girls in those, those _binders_. To you. It's what Nathan tried to do to Chloe too, and – and we _have_ to get justice for everything they've done to us.” Her voice became stronger as she went, and Max saw something in Kate's expression that she hadn't seen from her in a long time: determination.

“We will,” Max promised. “Together, Kate, we'll get justice.”

For a moment Kate just looked at her, and then she nodded again. “I believe you, Max.” They were simple words, and Kate had been mostly believing her through Max's explanations, but it was different this time. She said it firmly, without any doubts, and looked Max in the eye while she did.

Max tried to form words, but they wouldn't come. She leaned forward and hugged Kate, and for a few moments they just held each other. “Thank you,” she managed finally as she pulled back, wiping at her eyes.

“Thank _you_ , Max,” Kate said, smiling a little. “From everything you've told me, it sounds like you've saved me a few times over.”

Max shook her head. “You saved yourself, Kate.” _And if all that stuff I've been seeing is true, then I've failed you just as much as I've helped you._ For all that what she saw when she fainted was like a dream and hard to remember, there were some things she could never forget, and the sight of Kate's body was one of them.

“And if you're right about all of that,” Kate said, taking Max out of her thoughts, “That means you're right about the storm, too, and we only have until Friday to come up with a plan.”

“Well,” Max said, standing and holding her hand out to Kate. “We should get started then.”

Kate smiled again, and then her face grew more determined as she took Max's hand and was pulled to her feet. “Yes,” she said, releasing her hand. “We should.”

Together, they walked back into the house.

(~-~-~--~-~-~-~)

They were sitting cross-legged in a circle, several pencils and pieces of notebook paper spread out on the ground between them.

“What do you think, Max?” Kate asked.

Max bit her lip, looking over the papers on the floor. The one that Kate was pointing to – labeled STORM PLANS – looked a lot less finished than the other notes they'd made. They all had different titles – DARK ROOM INVESTIGATION, CONNECTIONS, and the like – and those papers were full of notes and ideas they'd all come up with. The whole setup, them sitting in a circle with crossed legs, paper and pencils on the floor, reminded Max of being a kid, doing group projects in school, or drawing with Chloe. It had mostly been Kate's doing, though. Max realized in retrospect that she shouldn't have been surprised; before she'd been drugged and kidnapped, Kate had been open, social, in charge of clubs at school and church programs. She was used to being organized, to heading up projects. And even though Max knew there was more they had to do, having it all out on paper like that somehow made her feel more accomplished.

“I think we're off to a good start,” she said, smiling at Kate, who smiled back. “We've got some good ideas. We just need to figure out what to do first.”

“We've got some time to deal with the storm,” Chloe said immediately, from her place at Max's right. The more they'd talked and planned, the more animated she'd become. “The longer we let fucking Nathan and Jeffer-shit run loose, the more time they have to hurt someone, or get away.”

“I think so too,” Kate added solemnly. “We can't give them the chance to drug more girls. I – I don't want there to be any more victims.”

Warren patted her hesitantly on the shoulder. “Me neither,” He said. “And Max,” He turned toward her, “You said that you think there's some kind of connection to the storm and what Mr. Jefferson's been doing, right? We have to figure that out too.”

Max nodded, thinking, tracing her hand along the papers on the floor. “We need to do more investigating. Even with all I know, there's still so much I don't understand about all of this. I think...it's time to investigate Jefferson himself.” She picked up the paper marked with his name. “We just need to decide _how_.”

“Ah!” Chloe said, sitting up straight. “We can get his address and do some digging at his house! You said he's got surveillance in the Dark Room, but I bet he doesn't have it at his house.”

“You're right,” Max said slowly, smiling a little and meeting Chloe's eyes _._ It was just...so _Chloe_ to suggest breaking into his house right off the bat.“He probably doesn't.”

Chloe blinked at her. “Uh, yeah.” She gave a slightly awkward laugh. “I'm, uh, not used to a Max who's so eager to break the law,” she said, and there was a teasing hint to her voice that made Max's smile widen.

“Well, it's all your influence,” Max replied, arching her eyebrow and bumping Chloe with her shoulder. Chloe smiled, but Kate spoke before she could say anything else.

“Mr. Jefferson,” she said in a low voice. “Yes, we need to expose him.”

“Hold on,” Warren said, raising one of his hands a little. “You don't know for sure that there aren't cameras at his house. And going anywhere near where he lives seems _really_ dangerous. I know we've gotta investigate him, but we have to be careful too.”

“You're right,” Max said. “We need a plan, especially to make sure Jefferson won't come home while we're there. So, at least one of us should probably keep Jefferson busy at Blackwell.” She paused, thinking. Chloe was definitely out – she'd probably end up attacking him, not that Max could blame her. And Kate...after she'd just learned everything he'd done to her, Max couldn't ask her to face him. Maybe Max could keep him busy – she knew how to keep him talking after all – but her powers could be needed for investigating too.

“I'm up for whatever you want me to do to help, Max,” Warren replied after a few seconds of silence, taking her out of her thoughts. He scowled. “I'm more than happy to keep that motherfucker busy and away from you guys.”

Max smiled at him gratefully. “Thank you, Warren. I think that makes sense. But you _need_ to be careful around Jefferson. He has to stay at Blackwell, and he can't get suspicious of you.”

He nodded. “You got it. I'll make sure he doesn't leave, and doesn't suspect a thing.”

“You're the best, Warren,” Max told him sincerely. “So, we're investigating?” She asked, looking at Chloe and then at Kate, who nodded.

“Time to Scooby Gang this shit,” Chloe said. “We'll find whatever that fucker is hiding.”

“Yes, we will,” Kate said, straightening her shoulders and keeping her head high. “We'll find the evidence we need, and we'll bring him to justice. Besides,” she added, leaning forward and tapping the STORM PLANS paper with her pen. “In terms of the storm, I can start making flyers to point people toward the nearest shelters if nothing else. The church basement's been used to survive big storms before, and I can see if there's anything else in town that could work.”

“And I can look into the broadcast warning system,” Warren offered, leaning over and pointing to another idea on the list. “Maybe there's a way we can get one out to warn people about the storm.”

“We need a getaway car too,” Chloe pointed out. “If we can't make it to a shelter or something, we'll need a way to get out. My truck doesn't have much room, so we'll need something bigger than that.”

“And in the meantime, we'll investigate Mr. Jefferson tomorrow,” Max finished. For a ridiculous moment she almost felt like she should say something like 'meeting adjourned' or 'Avengers, out!', or something. Well, they _were_ a team now, even if they didn't have a team name or colorful costumes. Thankfully, the others seemed to sense her intentions if nothing else, and started getting to their feet.

Warren stretched his arms over his head, popping his neck. “I dunno about you guys, but I should probably head back to Blackwell.” He looked between Max and Kate. “You guys want a ride back?”

“Um,” Max glanced at Chloe. “No, that's all right.”

Warren looked slightly disappointed, but still smiled at Kate. “What about you? Want a ride in the Warren-mobile?”

Kate laughed a little. “That would be nice. Thank you.”

“Wait, Kate,” Max stepped forward, putting her hand on her arm. “If you feel like you can't stay at Blackwell because of Nathan or Jefferson or – or if you are feeling lonely or anything, please let me know.”

“Yeah,” Chloe said, stepping toward Kate as well, surprising Max a little. “Seriously. Just text us or whatever, and me'n Max'll come pick you up.”

Kate smiled widely at both of them. “Thank you. You guys have...have made me feel hopeful again.” She headed toward the door with Warren, pausing and looking back at them.

“Where should we meet tomorrow?” Kate asked. “And when are we going to investigate?”

“We can meet at Blackwell,” Max assured her, “So that should be easy. Warren can go head off Jefferson – ” she gestured toward him, and he nodded back “– and we can go to his house. The earlier the better, probably, so long as it's when we know he'll be at school.” She hesitated, though she knew she needed to ask. “Are you guys okay with missing class?”

“Uh, I think I'll worry about my classes _after_ we've survived the giant tornado,” Warren said. “This is more important,” he added seriously.

Kate bit her lip. “I've always tried to do well in school, and I've never skipped or been late. But Warren's right. This is more important.”

Max walked them to the front door, though Chloe stayed behind in her room. “I really can't thank you guys enough for this,” she told Warren and Kate. “I know everything I said it – it's hard to believe. So it means a lot that you're here.”

Kate leaned forward and gave her a hug. “It means a lot that you're here, too, Max.” She stepped back toward the door.

Warren hesitated, and for one moment Max thought he would try to hug her as well, but he just waved. “She's right,” he said, smiling a little. “See you tomorrow?”

“See you tomorrow,” Max promised, and with they they went out the door, closing it behind them.

For a moment Max hovered by the door, just taking it all in. Warren and Kate believed her. Chloe believed her, and they had plans and ideas and...and they were a _team_. Max smiled. _We're a team_ , she thought _. And together we'll make things turn out right this time. I just know it._

A sound reached her ears and she frowned, trying to listen and understand what it was. After a moment it came to her: Chloe was playing music in her room. Max started walking back up the stairs and was able to identify the song as “Santa Monica Dream” by Angus & Julia Stone. Chloe had had that song on the playlist she kept with Rachel Amber's picture.

 _Oh, Chloe_ , Max thought. She never wanted to hurt her, but here she had just piled all kinds of hurt onto Chloe all at once, and all at the same time. It was too much; too much for anyone. She couldn't blame Chloe for reacting the way she had at all because it was all so much to take in. That was one of the reasons Max hadn't mentioned any of her more intimate moments she'd shared with Chloe in her timeline; Chloe was dealing with Rachel, she didn't need to be worrying about all of that. More importantly...Chloe was grieving for Rachel. If Max came to her, telling her that she was in love with her and wanted to be with her... _It would either overwhelm Chloe, or it'd be like I was taking advantage of her loss_. She didn't want to do that.

Max reached Chloe's room, hesitating for a second and listening to the song outside the door – _I'm somewhere, you're somewhere, I'm nowhere, you're nowhere –_ before she opened it.

Chloe was smoking again, lying on her bed. “Hey,” she said levelly.

“Hey,” Max responded. “Um.” She hesitated, gauging Chloe's body language. “What do you want to do?”

“I don't know,” Chloe said, taking another hit off of her joint. She held it in for a few seconds and then exhaled. When she spoke again, small wisps of smoke unfurled from her lips. “When you wanting a ride back to Blackwell?” Her tone was kind of flat again.

“Well, I wasn't really planning on going back, actually.” Max said. Chloe paused with the joint halfway to her mouth, and she sat up. She looked over at Max, who smiled at her.

“Oh,” Chloe said, her voice no longer flat. “Really?”

Max nodded. “If you don't mind, I was kinda hoping to crash here tonight.” Max folded her hands together, and then apart again, feeling strangely nervous, but not in a way that bothered her. “I kinda thought, you know, that maybe we could have a sort of sleepover? Like when we were kids?” She glanced at Chloe and then away. After everything – the week she remembered that hadn't happened, all the visions of death she'd seen – she just wanted to spend some time with Chloe. To wake up the next day and see her there, know that she was alive.

“That...” Chloe exhaled another puff of smoke, a little shakily this time. She looked up at Max, a small spreading slowly across her face. “That sounds hella awesome,” she said, and Max's own smile widened.

(~-~-~-~-~-~-~)

“You did _not_ ,” Chloe said, staring at the scene before her, her mouth hanging open.

“I did,” Max said smugly, trying very hard to hold back her smile.

Chloe's mouth snapped shut and she shoved Max's shoulder, shaking her head. “Dude, you are EVIL! I can't believe you waited to nail me with that lightning bolt until I was _just_ about to win!”

“Oh, right,” Max rolled her eyes. “Just last round you bumped me right off a cliff _twice_! You're just as evil,” she teased, “And a sore loser.” She picked up the small couch pillow next to her and bounced it off of Chloe's head.

Chloe's eyes narrowed. “Well now it's _on_ ,” she declared. “Prepare yourself for the ass-kicking of your life, Caulfield!” She settled herself back on the couch, getting the next race ready. They'd been playing _Mario Cart_ for a while, something they'd done all the time as kids. Even though she hadn't used it in a while, Chloe still had her Nintendo 64, and two out of her four controllers worked. They were both rusty with the game, but it had started to come back to them, as had the familiarity of playing with each other. Max could remember sleepovers in the past, getting competitive and throwing as many items at each other as they could. Or there were the times they'd played _Zelda: Ocarina of Time_ , alternating who was using the controller. One night, Max had had a nightmare at Chloe's house, and Chloe had hummed the 'Zelda's Lullaby' song from the game to help her go back to sleep.

Chloe furrowed her eyebrows, focusing on the screen to choose their course. Max wondered if this was the first time she was playing _Mario Cart_ since Max had left. She'd said it had been a long time, and that was how long it had been for Max. It hadn't been a conscious choice on her part, exactly, but every time she was in a situation to play games she'd played with Chloe with someone else...she just hadn't wanted to. She'd end up remembering all those memories with Chloe, and maybe it was somehow her trying to make up for being an asshole and not contacting her, or maybe there was a part of her promising that the next time she played it would be with Chloe; either way, she hadn't been able to bring herself to do it. Now, though, she was here and playing with Chloe again.

“I think we need to – Max? You okay?”

“Huh?” Max blinked, jolted out of her thoughts. She cleared her throat a few times – it felt tight – and her eyes were a little watery, but hopefully not enough to be noticed. “Sorry, I was just –” Max stopped, and then finished her thought. “I was just thinking that it's...really nice to be having a sleepover with you again.”

Chloe smiled, eyes flicking to her and then away. “Yeah. It is.”

There was a second of silence where they just smiled at each other, and then Max asked: “What were you saying?”

“Oh!” Chloe straightened, her smile becoming more of a smirk. “I was saying I think I know how to settle our _Mario Cart_ battle.” She gestured toward the racing course that was up on the screen.

“Oh no...” Max said in exaggerated horror.

“Oh yes,” Chloe replied gleefully. “Rainbow Road.”

“Nooooooo,” Max exclaimed, throwing her hand back over her head dramatically.

Chloe kicked at her, laughing, and Max swatted her foot away.

“Shut up,” Chloe said. “And meet my challenge, coward! Verily, I shall prove my merit over thee!”

She crossed her arm across her chest like she was making an oath, bowing her head.

Max giggled, doing the same. “Verily,” she agreed, and they started racing again.

 

 

 

In retrospect, Max should have known that just because people called her 'Mad Max', didn't mean she was actually an amazing driver. While she put up a valiant effort, and managed to get another win, she had to ultimately offer up her controller in defeat.

“You are the Mario Cart _master_ ,” she told Chloe. “I bow to your skills.”

“Hell yeah you do,” Chloe said, grinning lopsidedly. She leaned back against the couch, her hands behind her head. She looked up at the ceiling, letting out a long breath, the smile starting to fade from her face.

Max scooted a little closer to her, leaning back and looking up at the ceiling as well. For several seconds, neither of them said anything.

“This doesn't feel real,” Chloe spoke in a low voice, and Max turned her head to look at her. She was still staring at the ceiling.

“I know,” Max said. She turned her head toward the ceiling again. “It kinda doesn't feel real to me either.”

Chloe let out another long breath, but didn't say anything. Max looked over at her again, opening her mouth and then closing it. What could she say? Ask if Chloe was okay? What kind of question was that, after all that had happened?

“Do you remember...” Max said, pausing to collect her thoughts, “Do you remember that time we made pirate pancakes?”

There was a second of silence, and Max wondered if she'd said the wrong thing, and then Chloe laughed.

“Fuck, yeah, I remember that! God, that made a mess.” Chloe laughed again. “We tried to make swords and skulls and crossbones and – shit, what was the other one?”

“Well, we _tried_ to make a captain's hat too,” Max answered wryly, “And I made one that sorta looked like a peg leg, but that was pretty much the best result that we got.”

“Oh man, there was flour and milk everywhere,” Chloe said fondly. “ And we burned the hell out of one of the pans. Mom was _so_ pissed.”

“That,” Max said, bumping her with her arm, “Is because _someone_ decided to have a flour fight in the kitchen instead of pay attention to the things on the hot stove.”

“Oh, right, like you were all rushing to stop me!” Chloe accused, bumping her back. “You dumped practically a whole sack of flour on my head!”

“Oh yeah,” Max said sheepishly, laughing. “I forgot about that.”

Chloe smiled again, but not quite as brightly. “I miss doing shit like that all the time.”

“Well, who says we can't?” Max said, moving a little closer to her. “I mean, okay, not all the time, but right now we could.”

“Yeah?” Chloe asked, her smile growing. “You suggesting we make pancakes?”

“Aye, Captain Chloe.” Max said, smiling wider as well. “That is exactly what I'm suggesting.”

Chloe drew up straighter. “Well then, First Mate Caulfield, it's time to pillage the kitchen for our treasure.”

“Arrrrr!” Max cried, thrusting her fist into the air.

Chloe laughed, loudly, and warmth filled Max's chest at the sound.

“Arrr!” Chloe echoed, putting her own fist up in the air and bumping it against Max's. She swung her legs up and stood, holding her hand out to Max to pull her up from the couch. Max took it, and Chloe pulled her to her feet. To Max's surprise, Chloe kept holding Max's hand as they walked to the kitchen; for a moment Max was back in time in a completely different way. She could see this as she had when she was a kid – Chloe's hand in hers, leading her along to whatever scheme they'd thought up – and tears came to her eyes again. She blinked them back, smiling, as they went into the kitchen.

(~-~-~-~-~-~-~)

Chloe nodded her head along with the music, stirring the batter in the bowl.

The music was playing from her laptop – the sound quality wasn't the best, but it worked okay – the songs shuffling randomly, and every once in a while Chloe would skip one. Some of them Max knew, and other ones she didn't, though most of them seemed familiar somehow.

“So,” Chloe said, taking Max out of her thoughts. “You said I'm influencing you to break the law?”

“Oh,” Max laughed a little. “Um, a bit.”

“Like breaking into Blackwell? You said we, uh, did that in the other timeline.” Chloe went on. “Damn, that's weird to think about. Anyway, what other illegal activity have I driven you to?” She said it like a joke, and she was smiling a little, but something was off in the tone of her voice.

“Um, well...” Max bit her lip. She'd told Chloe, Kate, and Warren the big details, but even then there were some things she'd skipped over. Not because she was hiding them, but because they weren't really related to what she _needed_ to tell them, or had time to tell them, though Chloe she'd told the most of all.

“Did I tell you that to get into the Principal's Office we used a bomb?” She asked.

Chloe's mouth dropped open. “Wait, really?” Max nodded. “Dude, no way!”

“ _Yes_ way,” Max replied, relieved at Chloe's obvious delight. “Warren texted me instructions on how to make one and I got supplies from the different classrooms, and we set it off. It was really loud, and it completely like, blew the door open.”

“ _Awesome_ ,” Chloe said, actually cackling a little. “We'll have to use that for something this time around too.”

“Who knows,” Max said, shrugging. “We might _need_ another bomb.”

“What else did we do?” Chloe asked, seeming kind of eager now. “Sounds like we were...quite the team.”

“We _are_ quite the team,” Max corrected her, and Chloe smiled. “And, well, after that we also went swimming in the Blackwell pool.”

“At night?” Chloe asked, smiling wider. “Seriously?”

“Seriously,” Max replied. “We turned on the pool lights and jumped in, and...” her voice had gone quieter, without her meaning to. Her throat felt caught for a moment; all she could think about was Chloe in the water, the way she'd looked in the lights, how she'd said she was never leaving her, that they were connected. Max swallowed. “It was...one of the best nights of my life.”

Chloe's voice was soft too. She'd stopped stirring, was just looking at Max. “What did we do?”

“We just...talked.” Max smiled fondly. “About everything that had happened. About taking over the world,” she chuckled briefly. “About Kate, and...and Rachel,” Max added hesitantly. Chloe became even stiller, but didn't say anything. “About my powers. Things like that. Then the Blackwell Security came in and we had to sneak out of there.”

For a second Chloe didn't say anything. Then she stirred the batter once more, and placed the bowl by the stove. She poured oil on a pan, and turned on the stove. “What then?” She asked.

“Uh, I, uh, had to stay the night here,” Max explained. She tried to sound normal, even though she didn't really know _how_ to talk about what had happened next. “'Cause we couldn't get around them back to my dorm. They didn't catch us, though.”

“That's it?” Chloe asked, sounding a little disappointed, a teasing lilt to her voice. “No arson or anything?”  
“N-no,” Max said, laughing nervously. She didn't want to push her feelings on Chloe, didn't want to make her feel obligated or whatever, but not telling her about it now...no, deliberately not telling her about the kiss felt deceptive. Still, the words seemed to get stuck on the tip of her tongue, but she pushed them out. “You did – u-um d-dare me to kiss you the morning after.”

Chloe actually froze at the stove, and then turned around to face Max. “And did you?”

Max let out a breath. “Yes, I did.”

“Whoa, Max,” Chloe gave a slight chuckle, turning back toward the stove, her own cheeks pink. “I-I didn't know you had it in you! Guess I _am_ a good influence on you,” she added, laughing a little more.

“A good _bad_ influence,” Max teased, moving to stand by the stove with her, shaking her head. “I'll have you know you also had us shooting bottles in the junkyard, and nearly got run over by a train! Oh, _and_ you somehow convinced me to steal from the handicapped fund.”

“You'd be more convincing if you didn't sound so excited about it all,” Chloe commented dryly, looking at her with a raised eyebrow.

“That last one I feel bad about,” Max admitted. “But I don't regret any of it.” _Doing those things to find the truth, to help Chloe and Kate and Rachel, to try new things, to make Chloe happy..._ No, she couldn't regret any of it.

The oil in the pan popped, making both of them jump.

“Whoops,” Chloe said, turning the heat down a little. She poured some of the batter they'd made onto the hot pan. For a moment they both just watched as the batter settled, forming a not-quite-perfect circle. Small bubbles started to appear on the edges of the pancake, but it wouldn't be time to flip it until they were all across the surface.

The smell of the cooking batter filled Max's nose, and she couldn't help but inhale deeply. No matter what, that smell brought her back to her childhood, to moments like this with Chloe.

“Max?” Chloe asked quietly.

Max turned toward her. “Yeah?”

Chloe kept her eyes on the pan, testing the edge of the pancake with a spatula. She took in a breath, seemed to gather herself, and said: “I'm...really glad you're here.” She looked at Max then, and for one rushing moment Max wanted to do nothing more than lean forward and kiss her.

Instead she smiled. “I'm really glad to be here too. And I'm not going anywhere,” she promised.

Chloe smiled back at her, almost shyly, and they finished making their pancakes in easy, comfortable, and familiar, silence.

 

 

Even though Max knew it was coming, a chill worked across her skin as she watched the eclipse. The sun was still setting, and the light it cast was nothing short of beautiful; it kind of made everything glow, and she hadn't been able to resist taking another picture. The last time she'd seen the eclipse, it had been after Kate had tried to jump. Her power had just failed on her. Warren was there for her, but nothing he'd said had really made her feel better: she'd known something bad was on the horizon, though she never could have guessed just how bad things would get.

This time, though, Max was sitting with Chloe on her roof. They'd climbed out her window, and sat beside it. They were facing away from the road, so Chloe felt comfortable enough smoking a joint outside; besides, most who saw it would just assume it was a cigarette. And sitting outside meant they'd have plenty of warning for when David or Joyce came home. Chloe had put on some music on her hi-fi, too, and they could hear it from the window. Right now it was playing a soft, sad, song that Max didn't recognize, a woman singing about lost love.

S _hadows settle on the place that you left_

_Our minds are troubled by the emptiness_

Her phone buzzed, and she glanced at it, seeing a text from Warren – _Super Max predicts the future_ – and one from Kate – _I guess this means we're one day closer to the storm._ Something bad was still on the horizon, but this time they knew it was coming, and together -

“So,” Chloe said, taking Max out of her thoughts. “We're investigating that fucker Jefferson tomorrow.”

“Yeah, we are.” Max drew her knees a little closer to her chest.

“What do you...” Chloe hesitated, swallowing, and then continued: “What do you think we'll find?”

Nausea rolled in Max's stomach, and she squeezed her knees tighter; she could still feel the fresh terror at seeing those pictures of Rachel and Kate, the binders of Jefferson's other victims.

“Probably something really awful,” She replied, shuddering. “But we'll use it against him. And we have to look for anything about the storm, so we can finally start to really figure out why all of this is happening.”

Chloe didn't respond for a moment. “How do you know?” She asked quietly.

Max blinked. “What do you mean?”

“How do you know that – that all of this isn't happening because I _am_ supposed to die?” Chloe's voice shook a little. “You said that everything before it – it pointed to that, right? How do you know that's not true?”

“No.” Max shook her head, refusing to even consider that notion. She was back, and she was _not_ going to make that choice. “There's more to this. I can tell that there's – there's _something_ more, I just don't know what it is yet. I'm not going to let you die, and I'm going to do everything I can to save Arcadia Bay.”

“But what if you can't?” Chloe pressed. “What if – ”

“Chloe.” Max met her eyes, her voice firm. “I'm not making that choice. I'm not going to sacrifice you. Ever.”

Chloe let out a long breath and for a moment she didn't move, just looked at Max. Then she sort of blinked and turned away and took another hit off of her joint. She exhaled the smoke, and Max wished for a moment to take another picture: Chloe's back haloed by the color of the sunset, smoke drifting from her lips, but she didn't.

“I just...” Chloe let out another long breath, trailing off, shaking her head a little.

As the woman singing continued – _and if you're still breathing, you're the lucky ones/cause most of us are heaving through corrupted lungs –_ Max moved closer to Chloe, their knees bumping together.

“You just...?” Max asked, lightly putting her hand on Chloe's arm.

For a few seconds she didn't say anything, but then Chloe continued. “I keep thinking...” She said. “There's so much that's – that's happened, and it – I just – I keep forgetting. That she's gone.” Her voice wavered for a moment, and then was stronger. “Rachel is _dead_.” She let out a shaky breath. “And you're here,” she said, turning and looking at Max now. “You're here and you – you went on this wild time traveling adventure with a past version of me, and all this fucked up shit happened, but now it didn't happen. I don't remember all this stuff that we did together, but it was _real_ , and – and so was Jefferson hurting you. What Kate said a-about a bright room and someone talking to her – that's what happened to you, and to Rachel, and there's a gigantic tornado on the way, and...” She leaned forward a little, resting her arms on top of her knees. “And somehow you made your way back here to do it over again. To save me.”

“That part's kind of easy for me,” Max admitted. “I mean, I don't understand what's happening, or what half this shit means, or even really how I got back, but...but being here, saving you? I don't have to question that at all.”

Chloe looked at her again. No, stared was more accurate: her mouth was open a little, like she didn't know what to say, and something about the expression on her face made Max's breath catch in her throat.

Had they leaned closer to each other, or was it just Max? There was something softer about the way Chloe was looking at her now, about the set of her shoulders, and the music was getting louder, the woman singing more passionately: _my eyes are damp from words you left/ringing in my head when you broke my chest_.

They were definitely closer now, and Max's heart was pounding, and it would be so easy for her to lean forward and press her mouth to Chloe's. It would feel so good and so right, and she _wanted_ it, wanted that warmth, to kiss her in the light of the setting sun like anyone else in love.

Chloe's eyes flicked away, and then she avoided Max's gaze directly, pulling back a little.

Max immediately pulled back as well, facing the eclipse again. They were still sitting very close together, their arms brushing against each other, and for several long seconds neither of them said anything.

 _What the hell do you think you're doing, Caulfield?_ Max scolded herself, her heart pounding, face flushed. _You're not supposed to push your feelings onto Chloe – she just learned Rachel is dead and all this unbelievable shit. You can't start kissing her and expect her to immediately feel the same way you do!_ It didn't matter what Max wanted. She just needed to be there for Chloe and keep her safe, and figure out the truth and save the town, and then after all of this was over, maybe –

Max felt Chloe shift next to her. No, she was scooting closer, still facing the eclipse, leaning against Max's side, her head tilting and laying on top of Max's. For a second all Max could focus on was the way she could feel Chloe breathing, and could breathe with her. Then she tilted her own head, leaning into Chloe's neck, and together they watched as the moon continued to pass over the sun, and the sun set further, inching toward the horizon.

(~-~-~-~-~-~-~)

Max sat up from Chloe's bed, shaking her head to try and clear it. She still felt half asleep, and everything in the darkness around her seemed hazier somehow as a result. Shapes bled into each other, creating new ones, and as a kid her imagination had turned those shapes into monsters in the closet, and other nighttime terrors. She knew better now than to be afraid of a boogyman; there was so much worse in the world.

She glanced back at Chloe, who was still sleeping. The covers were half pulled up to her stomach, and one leg was sticking out of the other side. The sight immediately made Max feel more at ease, and she got off the bed, walking across Chloe's room. The floor felt especially cold to her bare feet, and she shivered, glancing around the room one more time. In the quiet, every shift of movement, every creaking floorboard, seemed too loud and made her heart leap into her throat.

 _Calm down Max,_ she told herself, opening the door and stepping out into the hall.

The hallway looked different in the dark: longer, somehow, and Max squinted in confusion. The stairs should have been right in front of her, but they weren't. Instead, the hall continued to stretch out in front of her.

Max stood, unable to move, just staring down the dark hallway. The longer she stared at it, the more certain she was that she couldn't see the end. _This is wrong,_ she thought, taking a step back and desperately reaching behind her for the handle to Chloe's room. She grasped for it, turning around, searching for the knob in the steadily-growing darkness – because it _was_ growing, pressing closer every second – but she couldn't find it. No, it wasn't there. The door to Chloe's room was gone.

“No, no, no, no, no!” Max's fingers scrabbled at the wall, her heart pounding. No – she had to get to Chloe, had to find her, they couldn't be separated, she had to keep Chloe _safe_.

A slight sound came to her. A sniffling. A choked sob, and a shuddering gasp.

Max turned around. She could hear the crying all around her now, and voices with it. It was her voice – _no, Mr. Jefferson, please – please stop_ – and Chloe's voice – _HELP ME MAX_ – and Kate's voice and Victoria's and they were begging, pleading, and she had to save them, she _had_ to save them.

Max lurched forward; every step was heavy, pulling, like something was trying to drag her to the ground. She pushed forward, and she could see doors ahead of her now, on and on and on down the hallway, which twisted before her eyes, the floor moving beneath her, doors shifting and bending to the ceiling.

Still, she walked along it, following the twisting path, even as it arched up the wall. She forced the first door open, stumbling inside. She squinted in the brightness, and when her eyes adjusted she found herself somewhere else entirely: the Two Whales Diner. The sun was streaming through the windows, but it looked strangely eerie: the restaurant was completely empty, aside from one person sitting in a booth toward the back.

It was another her, just like in her nightmare before, but this version of herself was smiling at her, a little sadly. The other her opened her mouth and started talking, but it was like she'd been muted; Max didn't hear a word of it.

“Wait,” she tried to say, but her own voice had no volume either. “Wait, please! What are you saying?” Still, no sound came out, and she grabbed at her throat, massaging it, trying to shout, whisper, _anything_. A violent shudder went through her; all of a sudden, it was too easy to picture herself clawing at her throat, like that horrible illustration in the Dark Room. No, it was more than her imagining it: she could see it, feel it, blood gushing, and she choked, even as her fingers tore at her skin again – and then something in the air seemed to _snap_ , and the feeling was gone.

Eyes blurred from her tears, Max slowly looked around, lowering her shaking hands. She was back in the twisted hallway, and a low sob escaped from her. She slumped forward, her palms flat on the ground, kneeling. For a moment she swayed there, her throat raw, and then she pushed herself to her feet and started making her way down the hall again.

She only made it a few steps before she heard a piercing scream – _Chloe's_ scream – from the door to her left. Without even thinking, Max dived for the door, wrenching it open, only for her to almost go flying out of it. Her foot was caught between the door and the jamb, stopping it from closing, and even as wind pulled at her, she held onto the doorknob. She had to, because in her other hand she held Chloe.

Max's hand was around her wrist, both of Chloe's hooked around her own wrist, and Chloe was scared and crying and the tornado was behind her, trying to suck them in.

The wind howled around them, pulling at them, and lightning flashed so close to them that it was as if Max felt it strike; the force of it seemed to pulse through her, but all it did was make her grip Chloe's wrist tighter.

“Max!” Chloe shouted at her, her voice carried away on the wind. “Max, please! You know what you have to do!”

Max shook her head, unable to speak, even as the edge of the door pressed painfully into her foot, even as her arms shook with the effort to keep holding on.

“PLEASE, Max!” Chloe begged. “Look at what you've done! Look at what's happening!”

“No!” Max held her even tighter, unable to resist crying out as the door dug further into her foot.

“You _have_ to, Max!” Chloe went on desperately. “PLEASE!”

“No!” Max shouted back, and maybe the wind was stronger or she just wasn't strong enough, but her hand slipped off the doorknob and they both went tumbling into the vortex. Chloe was screaming, screaming her name, and Max held onto her hand even as they fell, even as they twisted in the wind and something shook her, and Chloe's voice was getting louder and louder –

“Max! Max - Max, it's okay, it's just a dream! Max!”

Max's eyes shot open, and she jerked awake and out of her nightmare. For a few seconds all she could do was breathe, her panting seeming too loud in the otherwise quiet room.

“Max?” Chloe asked. “You okay?”

Max nodded slowly, forgetting that Chloe probably couldn't see her, but didn't say anything, clenching and unclenching her hands. She turned over on her side, curling up as tightly as she could. Sweat rolled down her neck, but she shuddered, goosebumps prickling along her arms.

She felt Chloe move closer to her. “You okay?” She asked again.

It took Max a few seconds to answer. “...No.” She said quietly, laughing, blinking back tears.

Chloe didn't say anything at first, and after a few seconds Max felt Chloe's hand press against her back, warm and soothing, and Max couldn't help but move into that warmth. In response, Chloe rubbed at her back a little, and Max gave a small sigh of relief at the sensation.

“It's okay,” Chloe said softly. She was right behind Max, her voice close to her ear, breath tickling her neck. Her hand was still rubbing small circles in her back, and every one made Max's shoulders relax more, her breathing slowly evening out. “It's okay, Max. It's okay.”

Chloe kept repeating that, quietly, over and over, and every second she did the tension drained out of Max's body, until she drifted to sleep again.

(~-~-~-~-~-~-~)

The next morning, Kate and Warren were waiting for them in the Blackwell parking lot. They were by the stairs, talking to each other, and both looked up as Chloe's truck loudly approached. Chloe pulled up to the curb in front of them, and Max opened the door, hopping out so that Kate could fit between them. It would be a little tight, but it would work.

“Hey, guys,” Max said as she stepped aside to allow Kate to get in.

“Yo,” Chloe said, nodding at both of them.

“Are you...ready?” Max asked, looking back and forth between them.

Kate bit her lip, but then squared her shoulders and nodded. “Yes, I'm ready.”

“Me too,” Warren said firmly. “I spent most of last night planning things to keep – ” he lowered his voice - “Jefferson busy.”

“And not suspicious,” Max reminded him. “I – I know it's a lot to ask Warren, and it could end up being really dangerous for you, but – ”

Warren shook his head. “Don't insult me, Max.” He smiled a little, but then went on seriously. “You guys are gonna be in danger too. And in a few days we'll all be in danger from the tornado. I want to do this. And I won't let Jefferson get suspicious either,” he added.

“Thank you, Warren,” Max said. It felt like she would never be able to thank him or Kate or Chloe enough. “And I have faith in you. We'll see you soon.”

Kate brushed his arm with her hand. “Thanks, Warren,” she told him, smiling a little.

He smiled back at her. “Sure thing, Kate.”

“Be careful,” she told him, and then turned and climbed in Chloe's truck, fastening the seatbelt across her lap.

“We'll keep you updated on what's happening,” Max told Warren as she got in the truck after Kate. “Keep us updated on what's going on with you, too.”

“Aye aye, Maximum Commander.” Warren said, his smile widening.

Max snorted, unable to help her own smile. “And you say _my_ puns are bad?”

Warren laughed, and then he waved at them all as Chloe started driving away.

“So,” Max said as they got on the main road again. “You, um...know where Mr. Jefferson lives?”

Kate didn't respond at first, her lips pressed tightly together. “I...I went around to different houses with my church group collecting donations for charity. _Mr. Jefferson_ ,” she emphasized in disgust, “Really congratulated me on what I was doing and gave a generous donation.” She sighed angrily, and then went on more evenly: “We had to get down his address and everything for the payment. I don't remember the numbers exactly, but...his house is pretty memorable.”

“Just tell me where to turn,” Chloe told her. “I was always shit at remembering addresses anyway.”

“Just turn left up here,” Kate said, pointing down the road, “And head up the mountain.”

When they came to the turn, Chloe did as Kate said, and they started their way up.

 

 

Jefferson's house was...well, Kate had been right about it being memorable. The first word that came to Max's mind was 'pretentious', followed closely by 'creepy'. It was built slightly slanted, following along with the shape of the mountain, and had three stories; the bottom was a garage – and what looked like a room next to the garage – while the main part of the house was up above. She could see a great deal of it, as three sides of the house were a patchwork quilt of glass, framed with the same dark wood that made the rest of the house. A shiny deck surrounded the second floor, also fenced in by glass. The inside, from what Max could see, already reminded her of the Dark Room: it was stark, mostly white, and seemed eerily sterile, even from a distance. The third floor was smaller – possibly only one room, maybe two – but Max couldn't see it as well. If it had been owned by anyone other than Jefferson, Max might've liked it more, but as it was, the thought of going inside the house and seeing more of it actually made her stomach churn.

She sent a quick text to Warren – _Arrived safe –_ and they all got out of the truck, staring at the house.

Chloe looked absolutely revolted. “No wonder that fucker lives here.”

“It's...” Kate frowned. “Strange that his house seems so open when he has so much to hide.”

“I think that's part of the idea,” Max said darkly. “To seem open, and - and _friendly_. Like someone you can trust.” She could picture it so perfectly, again cursing herself for not seeing through him sooner. Hell, he could basically pose for whoever came up to his house – presenting who he wanted the world to see to get away with what he actually did. _Bastard._

“Well, how do we get in?” Chloe asked. Her eyes lit up for a second. “Wait, we can – ”

“ _No_ ,” Max said, trying not laugh. “We're not going to make a bomb.”

“Um,” Kate said. “What?”

“Alternate reality,” Max explained. Kate nodded, though she still looked kind of confused, and somewhat alarmed.

“Oh, come on!” Chloe complained. “You said we might have to blow shit up again, and I don't remember when you did it before.”

“Much as I'd like to blow up Jefferson's house – ” A _nd it_ _ **is**_ _an appealing idea,_ Max thought - “ We don't have the supplies for it. Besides, I think I can get us in another way.”

“Okay, okay,” Chloe said, though she was clearly disappointed. “Lead the way, Lupin.”

As always, whenever Chloe said something that reminded Max of before – of the other timeline – it both gave her a sort of thrill and hurt at the same time. “Um, yeah,” she said, turning around and walking closer to the house, Chloe and Kate following behind.

The front door next to the garage looked like a normal door – maybe they could break it in somehow, and then Max could rewind and open the door from the inside? No matter what, once they found a way in she'd be able to use her powers to erase any evidence of what they did. As she got closer, however, she saw something on the wall between the door and the garage that made her realize even _that_ wouldn't be necessary. It was another keypad, and Max felt torn between exasperation – how many times was she going to have to enter these codes? - and excitement, because if it was the same as the passcode for the Dark Room, she'd just found their way in.

She stopped before pressing any of the buttons at the keypad, reaching into her bag and pulling out what her and Chloe had picked up at the store on the way over to Blackwell: latex gloves.

“Here, Kate,” Max said, tossing her a pair. Of course, it wasn't likely that Jefferson would go brushing for fingerprints, but Max wanted to avoid leaving _any_ indication that they'd been there. She passed a pair to Chloe, and slipped some on her own hands, before facing the keypad again.

She immediately pressed 542, and her heart leapt when a green light came on and the garage door slowly – and loudly – started to lift. _Abandon all hope ye who enter here,_ Max thought. They basically _were_ stepping into the gates of hell.

“Shit,” Chloe said, stopping next to Max. “Did you rewind to do that, or...?”

Max shook her head. “No, that one was elementary, dear Watson.” She said, and Chloe smiled. “I just remembered it from before,” she explained to both her and Kate more seriously. “It's the same code to get into the Dark Room.”

Chloe's expression hardened, while Kate paled, and for a moment all three of them just stood, staring into the entrance of the dim garage. It was Kate who spoke first.

“Let's do this,” she said, and that determined look was on her face again.

“Yeah,” Max agreed, and together they stepped into Jefferson's garage.

Within moments of each other, they pulled out their phones and turned on their flashlights. The empty garage wasn't completely dark, but maybe it was all the trees helping to cover the sun, or how deeply the garage was built, or the fact that it was Jefferson's house, but it still seemed _too_ dark.

“This is already hella creepy,” Chloe muttered, and Max could practically feel the tension radiating off of her.

“It's _evil_ ,” Kate said fiercely.

“Yes, it is,” Max replied. “Remember to put everything back exactly how you found it,” she reminded both of them.

They started stepping away from each other, and for one moment Max was back in that graveyard at night, just before Chloe was shot by Jefferson, Rachel's body beneath their feet. “A-and keep checking in with each other,” she added, and the other two paused, looking back at her. “E-even if we're split up, we should make sure to talk to each other, or – or check in a lot.” She knew that Jefferson was at Blackwell, but...

“Yeah, Max. Of course.” Chloe said softly.

“We'll mostly stay together,” Kate promised.

Max smiled at them, and then they started searching.

There wasn't initially much to see in the garage; it wasn't full of tools like the one at the Price house, though Jefferson still had a few basic tools lined up perfectly on the walls that Chloe was looking at.

Kate was looking at a photograph hung on the wall: a black-and-white picture of a woman sitting among the ruins of a building. It might have been an earthquake, or some other natural disaster, but something had made the building by her collapse; she was covered in dirt and rubble, and though she was wrapped in a blanket, you could clearly see underneath she was wearing a short, oddly-pristine white dress. There were police officers and EMTs around her – all men, from the looks of it – but the focus was on the utter misery on her face, her eyes looking down and past the viewer, to the ground.

A sick feeling filled Max's stomach. No matter where she looked, she just saw more and more hints toward who Jefferson really was – he was truly the wolf in sheep's clothing, hiding in plain sight and waiting for his moment to strike.

Shaking off her disgust at Jefferson, Max quickly noticed that there were two doors at the end of the garage: one leading into the rest of the house, and another to a room that she hadn't been able to see from the outside. This door was also made of dark, polished wood, and had a rather ostentatious black doorknob carved with an intricate spiral pattern. _Yet more vortex symbols,_ Max thought, a chill going down her spine. She reached forward to try the knob, even knowing that it was probably locked, but to her surprised it twisted in her hand, and she pushed the door open.

With a fumbling hand, she felt along the wall inside and flipped on the light, blinking in the sudden brightness. Then she focused on what was in front of her: a wine cellar. The bottles sat on ornate black shelves, but as far as she could tell there wasn't anything else in the room. Still, she wasn't surprised: of course Jefferson had a wine cellar. She could just see him showing how oh-so-worldly he was with fancy wine at a party, or tricking some poor unaware girl with something that seemed romantic...She shuddered again. _What a fucking bastard._

“Anything in there, Max?” Chloe asked, and Max turned around as she approached. Kate, still over by the picture, looked over and started walking closer as well.

Max shook her head. “No. It doesn't look like there's much in here – we should head further into the house. I know we have my rewind, but I still don't want to waste any time we have here.”

“We'd better keep moving, then,” Chloe said, nodding her head toward the other door. “Come on.”

That door opened up to reveal stairs; they were white, and the railings were glass, and Max knew from what she'd seen in the windows that this was a good idea of what to expect from the rest of the house. Max checked her phone, seeing two messages from Warren: ' _Be careful.'_ and ' _It's so weird watching Mr. Jefferson teach, knowing what he's really done'._

Max responded quickly – _Will do. Trust me, I know_  – putting her phone away again as she reached the top of the stairs.

The second floor was, as she'd seen from outside, very sleek and modern in design – most everything was white, even the furniture, and it was starting to hurt Max's eyes. The few things that weren't white – one of the couches, the kitchen counter and cabinets, a rug in the living area, the barstools – were a dark brown or black. It was all so similar in coloring to the Dark Room, with even a similar interior design and art style. _He's all but screaming what he is, in any way he can that doesn't result in him getting caught,_ Max thought in disgust, taking in yet more pictures of sad, defeated-looking women adorning his walls. _No wonder he can't stop talking about himself in the Dark Room – his victims are the only people he can be completely blatant around._

God, somehow he just kept managing to make her hate him more. The things he did...to Rachel and Kate and Victoria and herself and all those other girls...and here he was, practically parading it around for all to see. Everyone around him just told him how good he was and how artistic he was, and perhaps the biggest insult of all is that he would _pretend to be humble about it_. He believed his torture of his victims was art – made himself famous with sanitized versions of the same thing - and no one had noticed it.

Max realized that she was just standing in the middle of Jefferson's living room, clenching her fists so tightly that her nails were digging painfully into her palms. She unclenched her hands, trying to relax, shaking out her fingers. _Come on, Caulfield,_ she told herself. _Focus. You need to search this asshole's place. Think. He wouldn't hide something actually incriminating out in the open, right? All this stuff – the – the pictures, and – and everything it all points to what he does in the Dark Room, but it's not actual evidence! I need to find something we can use as proof._

Max shook herself, and then squared her shoulders, and started searching again.

 

 

Neither the living room or the kitchen provided any kind of proof. Though the pictures on the walls continued to have the same theme – black and white and grey, typically pretty women looking sad – and walking by them always made Max extremely uncomfortable, none of them found anything they could use. When Warren texted asking for an update, she responded: _Not much so far. Mostly just clean and creepy_ , but she knew they had to keep looking, so Chloe and Kate followed her up to the third floor.

“Is that...” Kate began, looking at the slightly-open door on their right at the top of the stairs. “Is that his bedroom?”

Max's stomach twisted. “I think it is.”

Chloe visibly tensed, letting out a hard, angry, breath, and then opened the door and walked inside. Max started following behind her, but then Kate spoke.

“Wait,” she said, and Max turned to look at her. Chloe stepped back out of the room to follow Kate's gaze down the rest of the short hallway. There was another door at the end of it, and on the door was a rather-expensive looking doorknob with a keypad. Kate was already walking over there, and Max and Chloe quickly followed behind her.

“Looks like this fucker _does_ have more to hide,” Chloe said as they stopped in front of it.

“Color me surprised,” Max muttered darkly.

“Do you think it's the same code from before?” Kate asked.

“One way to find out,” Max replied, entering 542 on the keypad. Nothing happened. Max frowned, pressing 5 again, and then the light above the keypad blinked red.

“Damn,” Max said. “It's a different code. A four-digit one.”

“I don't suppose you remember any other codes from your, uh, timeline?” Chloe asked.

Max shook her head. “I didn't really see any other codes, at least not ones from Jefferson. There was a different code to get on Nathan's phone, but I don't remember that one either.” She ran her head through her hair in frustration. “Shit.”

“W-well, maybe we'll find the code in his...his room?” Kate suggested. By the look on her face the idea of going into Jefferson's room made her feel sick as well.

“Yeah,” Chloe said, her face set. “And we'll find a way in no matter what.”

“Yes, we will,” Max agreed, and they headed back toward Jefferson's room.

The room was much like the rest of the house; though it was mostly surrounded by glass, it had been more difficult to see from the outside, but it was decorated exactly the same. It seemed...emptier, however, than the other rooms. There was only one picture on the wall: a photo of a woman from the nose down. She was wearing a tight, dress that draped off of her shoulders. She wasn't smiling, but her lips were slightly parted like she was surprised. Out of focus of the camera, she was surrounded by other figures at a party, but all of them appeared to be looking at her from behind her back.

A small black cabinet sat next to the bed; it had three drawers, and lamp and book sitting on top. There was a bookshelf against the wall on the other side of the bed, a dresser, and a small closet with a glass door, but nothing else.

They glanced at each other, and then slowly moved further into the room.

Kate walked to his dresser, looking carefully at the drawers, and a few papers that were stacked on top that Max hadn't noticed before. Chloe went for the bedside cabinet, opening it and peering inside, rifling through the contents.

Max headed for the closet – maybe there was something on a shelf in there? Or hell, maybe there was a hidden room in there. With all she'd seen so far, she wouldn't have been surprised. She slid the thin glass door open, and pushed aside the suits and button-ups hanging in the closet. _Hmm. No shelves in here anywhere._ Max pushed on the wall behind it, but she honestly had no idea how to tell if it was hollow, or if there was something behind it. Still, she kneeled down and checked the whole wall, and even looked under his shoes to see if there was something hidden there.

 _Nothing_ , Max thought, sitting back on her knees. _Maybe if –_

“Max.” Chloe's voice took her out of her thoughts, and the tone of her voice immediately made Max get to her feet.

“What is it?” She asked, walking up beside her, and she saw Kate walking over as well.

The book on top of the bedside cabinet was open, somewhere toward the middle. It took Max a second to realize that Chloe's shaking hands were holding the thing that Jefferson had been using as a bookmark. It was a feather. Most of it was blue, but there was a little brown on the bottom, and Max knew she'd seen it somewhere before. It was only when she noticed what was attached to the feather – a small silver hook – that Max realized with dawning horror what it was: an earring. And she'd seen it before because –

“This is Rachel's earring,” Chloe whispered, staring down at it. Then her fingers tensed and her teeth came together and her voice rose and she said again: “This is RACHEL'S earring! This bastard he – he – kept it! He fucking kept it like – like a trophy!”

“Chloe...” Max said softly, putting her hand on her arm.

“And I...I have to leave this here, don't I?” Chloe went on, as if Max hadn't said anything, and Max _couldn't_ say anything to that. If Chloe took it, Jefferson would definitely know that they'd been there, but to tell Chloe to just leave it there...

“You'll get it back,” Kate said, and Chloe looked at her. There was that determination in Kate's eyes again. “You'll get it back,” she repeated. “Jefferson will pay for what he's done, and – and Rachel's earring won't stay here.”

Chloe looked at her for a long moment, and then she nodded slowly, placed it back in the book, and closed the book, leaving it how she had found it.

Max's hand was still on her arm. Her shoulders were tight, and she wasn't looking at either of them. Max gently moved her hand up and down over Chloe's arm, and Chloe seemed to relax a little.

“So, what now?” she asked flatly, finally looking up. Her eyes were red-rimmed, but she wasn't crying. “I haven't found a single fucking code, and we haven't found _shit_ anywhere else.”

“I know,” Max said, “And that's why we have to keep looking. Maybe there's something here that we can use.”

Chloe nodded jerkily. “Yeah. Yeah. We have to fucking find something.” She met Max's eyes for a second, and then turned and headed for the bookcase, pulling books out one by one and flipping through the pages.

“I'll help you look,” Kate offered immediately, joining her at the bookcase, and she started pulling books off of the shelves as well, though she took a few moments to check the titles too.

Max looked down at the book on the bedside cabinet, the little blue feather peeking out through the pages. She didn't want to think about how Jefferson got that earring...if Rachel had been alive when he'd taken it. God, she felt sick again. He actually kept this in his bedroom – it was the most incriminating thing they'd seen so far – and Chloe was right about it being like a trophy. He was _proud_ of it.

Max shook her head, pushing back her revulsion. She had to focus on what they were doing. She started searching again, getting on her knees and looking under the bed, while also trying to think of what exactly they were looking _for_. It would've been easiest if Jefferson just had the code written down on a piece of paper like Nathan, but Max definitely had the feeling that it wouldn't be that simple. He'd want a code that he'd remember...a number that was significant to him in some way, maybe? But they hadn't found any kind of numbers that seemed important – not a bill, not a paycheck, no dates or anything. Chloe was right. The only thing they'd found was Rachel's earring, and that wasn't –

Max froze, and then slowly got to her feet. Her heart was pounding, loud in her ears, drowning out all other sounds as her mind raced. Rachel's earring wasn't just like a trophy – it was like a _memento_. It was the only remotely 'personal' thing they'd seen in Jefferson's house – the only thing that didn't match the rest of his carefully constructed persona. _The code..._ Max realized with dawning horror, _It has something to do with Rachel._

It took her several seconds to be able to speak. “Chloe...” she said, and both Kate and Chloe looked at her. “I...I think...” Max trailed off, her stomach twisting again. She took in a deep breath, and then went on: “Chloe, when is Rachel's birthday?”

Chloe's eyebrows furrowed and she blinked several times. “Uh, July 22nd. Why – ” She stopped, her mouth a little open, eyes wide. “You mean...”

“Th-the code,” Max went on, unable to take her eyes off of Chloe's face.

“What?” Kate gasped, her hands going over her mouth.

Chloe closed her eyes tightly, and let out a long breath. Then her eyes snapped open and she stomped out of the room and down the hall to the other door, Max and Kate hurrying behind her.

“Try it,” Chloe said, looking at Max as they stopped in front of the door. She blinked rapidly, and Max knew that she was trying to keep herself from crying. “This fucker is going to _pay_ for what he's done,” she added, her voice only breaking little.

This time, Max didn't hesitate to grab her hand. “He will,” she promised. She squeezed Chloe's hand, and then turned her attention to the keypad, and entered the code: 0722. Immediately, a green light flashed on, and the door unlocked. Max pushed the handle down, and opened the door.

The room was smaller than she'd expected; there was one black desk, on which sat a computer with a three monitor setup, all of the monitors mounted on the wall behind it. There were a few papers scattered on the desk, and a cabinet with drawers to the right of it, but otherwise this room too was relatively empty. But the computer...there _had_ to be useful information in there.

“We should look in the cabinet too,” Max said, “But let's try and see what's on this computer.”

Kate, who was closet, turned it on, and they all leaned forward over the desk, around Jefferson's chair, watching as it booted up in seconds, and Max entered Rachel's birthday again as the password. She frowned when INCORRECT PASSWORD appeared in red on the screen. She stopped for a moment, glancing at Chloe. She hated to ask, but she had to.

“What year was Rachel born?” Max asked Chloe, as gently as she could.

“1994,” Chloe replied tonelessly.

Max added those numbers, but it still wasn't the right password, and she leaned back, away from the screen. “Maybe something else in here – ” She began, but she didn't get very far: Kate spoke over her.

“Try my birthday,” she said, with a stony expression. “September 12th, 1995.”

 _Oh, Kate._ Max hesitated, but then she entered 9121995, and it worked. The screen directly in front of her loaded a normal desktop – not even a picture in the background, just blackness – with only one folder on it. The screen on her right automatically loaded a live video, as did the screen on her left. The one on her left switched back and forth between the outside and the inside of the barn, while the one on the right flashed between the Dark Room entrance and interior.

 _These are the cameras Jefferson saw me and Chloe on,_ Max thought. _God, we were caught the minute we drove up._

“That's it...” Kate whispered. “That's the Dark Room?”

Max put her hand on Kate's shoulders. “I'm so, so, sorry you ever had to see that place Kate. I'm so sorry.” She wished she knew what more to say – anything she could say – but Max knew that there weren't any words that were going to make this better.

Kate took in a shaky breath, and then let it out, nodding slowly. “Let's keep looking,” she said. She quickly wiped the back of her hand across her eyes.

 _Oh, Kate._ Max's heart clenched in her chest. Maybe she shouldn't have done this – Kate didn't deserve to see all of this, to be hurt this way and relive all of it. _You can control time and you still keep fucking up, Caulfield,_ she thought. _But...she's also helping take him down. I have to believe this was the right choice – that we can do this._

Max took hold of the mouse, and turned her attention to the monitor in front of her, and the single unnamed folder on the desktop. Max clicked on it, and was surprised to find that there was only one picture inside. She clicked on that too, and it opened up to reveal a blown up image: a still from the security footage in the Dark Room. It was exactly like how Max had seen it – the creepy pictures on the walls, the photography setup, but there was someone standing in the middle of the room. He was middle-aged and wore a business suit; his hands were casually in his pockets, his head partly turned like he was looking around. Max had never seen him before.

“Holy shit,” Chloe breathed, leaning closer to the image, her mouth open.

“Wait,” Max looked at her in surprise. “You know who that is?”

“So do I,” Kate said, who hadn't torn her eyes from the screen. “That's Sean Prescott.”

 


	5. Time-Turner

* * *

Max's heart pounded as she listened to the ringing on the other line, her phone pressed to her ear. _Come on, come on,_ she thought. _Hurry up and answer!_

Thankfully, Warren picked up a second later.. “Max?” He asked, concerned. “You okay? Did something – ”

“We're fine,” Max assured him hurriedly as Chloe stared the ignition and began to drive away. “But we – we found something.” She explained everything as quickly as she could, looking around as they drove. A part of her couldn't help but worry that Jefferson would suddenly appear out of nowhere, but she pushed that thought down.

Kate was quiet in the seat between them, looking down at her hands, seemingly tuning out what Max was saying. Chloe appeared to be hyper-focused on the road, her posture tense, her hands tightening on the steering wheel when Max mentioned Rachel's earring.

“And I – I took pictures, and we copied the photo of Sean Prescott onto Chloe's flash drive,” Max finished. “So we have that proof. But this means – ”

“Sean Prescott's involved.” Warren finished, his voice low.

“Yeah,” Max said. “And that means we have to investigate him too. We're going be back at Blackwell soon, Warren, so be ready to come with us. We'll need your help.”

 

-

 

Warren was waiting for them in the same place they'd picked up Kate earlier. He was pacing, his hands in his pockets, but stopped and looked up as they approached.

“Hey,” Max said, rolling the window down. “I don't know if we can all fit in here. Do you want to follow us in your car?”

“A – actually,” Warren said, scratching behind his head. “I was...I was kinda hoping you'd ride with me there, Max. There's uh, something I want to talk with you about.” He looked at her, and then away, and then behind her, at Kate and Chloe.

Max could feel Chloe's eyes on her back. “Um,” she said. “Okay. Yeah of – of course. You've listened to me, after all the unbelievable shit that I've said. How could I do anything less for you?” Max opened the door and climbed out, unable to resist looking back at Chloe as she did. Chloe met her eyes, but her expression was unreadable, and after a moment she turned her head away.

“I'll meet you guys there,” Max said, closing the door and stepping back.

“Of course, Max,” Kate said, who was looking back and forth between her and Chloe, her eyebrows furrowed. Then she smiled a little. “We'll see you there. Drive safe.”

“You, too,” Max replied sincerely, and at that Chloe glanced over at her again, nodding, before shifting gears and driving past them.

 _Chloe,_ Max thought, sighing, her heart sinking as she watched the truck start to circle around the parking lot, out toward the road again. She'd have to talk with her later about Warren. Though Max knew that this hadn't exactly been the best timed, what with what they'd found at Jefferson's house; seeing Rachel's earring had rattled Chloe, hurt her deeply. And leaving her, even for just a little while after that, felt wrong. But Warren deserved to be listened to, and...if he _was_ talking to her about his feelings, well...that was a conversation they needed to have anyway, no matter how uncomfortable it might be.

“Uh, I'm parked over there,” Warren said, pointing to his car a few feet away. He wasn't really looking at her, his head kind of bent, and he swung his hands like he wasn't quite sure what to do with them.

“We should probably hurry,” Max said, walking toward it. “So we can meet them,” she added. She didn't want Kate and Chloe to be alone too long. She'd more than learned that her power wasn't infallible, but still...she felt better having all of them in her sight, where she could be there to help them if she needed to.

“Yeah, of course,” Warren said, walking with her. “And, uh, don't worry. This – this won't take very long.” He said the last part kind of quietly.

Max blinked, glancing over at him and frowning. He smiled at her, but something was off about it, and he looked away from her again.

The short walk to his car was a silent one, and that silence continued as they got in the car and Warren drove out of the parking lot.

“Uh, what did you want to talk about?” Max asked as they pulled out onto the road.

Warren laughed nervously. “I was working up to that,” he said, shooting a glance at her and smiling, though his smile dropped a moment later. “I know this is a bad time. What you found at Jefferson's house...” Warren trailed off, shaking his head, his expression hardening. “With all that's going to happen – with all that _could_ happen – I didn't know when I'd get another chance to say this. And...and I wanted to - to clear the air, you know?” He let out a deep breath, adjusting his grip on the steering wheel. “I – I don't think I've made it a big secret that I think you're...pretty much one of the most incredible people I've ever met,” Warren said, looking over and meeting her eyes for a moment before turning his attention back to the road. “And yesterday I'd been planning to ask you to, um, 'Go Ape' with me, to – to this _Planet of the Apes_ marathon. As a date.”

“Warren,” Max said softly.

“But I think you knew that already,” Warren said, glancing at her again. “And I think I know what your answer would be. You don't...” he let out a slightly shaky breath. “You don't feel the same way about me.”

For a few seconds, there was silence, as Max struggled to figure out how to respond.

“I...” She hesitated, and then shook her head. “No,” She said, still quietly, but also firm. “Warren, I – I do think you're incredible. You're a great friend, but that's – that's what you are to me. A friend.”

“Yeah,” he replied, his voice cracking just a little. “I, um, kinda got that.” He let out a long breath. “And I'm not gonna pretend that doesn't – I mean – I'd hoped you'd feel the same. But...” He paused, and then went on. “I'm happy just being your friend, Max. I am. That's the most important thing to me. And that's – that's really what I wanted to say.”

Max's heart felt like it was rising in her chest, and it took her a moment to form words. “Warren, I...thank you. Your friendship is important to me, too.” She replied. “I can't...I can't tell you how much that means to me.”

Warren smiled at her again, and she noticed that his eyes were a little red. His mouth opened like he was going to say something, and then he closed it and turned his attention to the road once more. Before she could ask what he'd been going to say, he opened his mouth again and took a breath, hesitated for another second, and then finally spoke. “Max, th – there is actually something else I wanted to ask.”

Max furrowed her eyebrows. “What is it, Warren?”

“You – you don't feel the same way about me. That I feel about you,” he added awkwardly. “Is that – is that because of Chloe?”

The question was so unexpected that Max didn't even register what he'd said at first. “O – oh! Th-that's, I – I mean...wh...” She could feel her face heating up, and she struggled to get herself to make sense. Sure, it was something she'd admitted to herself, but it was quite another matter to talk about it with Warren of all people, especially considering he'd apparently picked up on her feelings. Was she _that_ obvious? She cleared her throat, and then swallowed. There was no point in trying to deny it, and she really had no reason to. Finally, she was able to get herself to form coherent words.

“I – I mean it's...” she let out another breath. “Pretty much everything I do – everything I've done – has been because of Chloe, _for_ Chloe. And I...I can't think of a time when – when I didn't love her,” Max admitted, and she could feel Warren looking at her, though her own eyes were focused down at her hands. “It – it feels like something that's always been there. I just...before this week, these _weeks_ , and – and e-everything that's happened, I didn't realize how much. I love Chloe,” she said, and her heart was pounding, but there was something powerful about admitting it out loud. “I'm...I'm _in_ love with her.”

There was silence for a few seconds, and Max peeked over at Warren, who was nodding slowly.

“I, uhm...hope you guys are happy together,” he said finally, awkwardly. He seemed unable to look at her.

“I...I hope we are too,” Max said. They had to get through this alive, first. “And Warren – you're a great guy.” She put her hand on his shoulder. “Anyone would be lucky to date you.”

He didn't seem particularly convinced, but he gave her a small smile. “Thanks, Max.”

“And you're one of the best friends I could ever have,” she added, squeezing his shoulder, and at that his smile widened. “And we can't do this without you,” she finished.

He was officially grinning now. “I know, I'm pretty awesome.”

Max rolled her eyes, shoving his shoulder lightly as she leaned back into her seat, looking forward at the road again as their destination came into view: the Prescott house.

The property seemed to extend well beyond the house, if the massive lawn was any indication. The driveway was circular, kind of like a roundabout, bordering both the large garage and the house itself. In the middle of the driveway was a patch of grass and a small perfectly-trimmed tree, and similar trees lined the edge of the house. In some ways, the place immediately reminded Max of Jefferson's, with its modern design, flat roofs, and several large windows. It was made of a similar dark wood, though it was slightly lighter than at Jefferson's, and the house itself wasn't mostly made of glass. A smooth grey stone wall – probably made from some really expensive and rare material, because of _course_ it would be – to the right of the front door blocked off part of the yard from view, and Max guessed that the house was even bigger than she could see. She was kind of surprised that there wasn't a gate; hell, she'd half expected that there would be armed guards waiting for them.

Chloe and Kate were parked a few feet ahead, off to the side of the road, and Warren pulled in behind them as they were climbing out of Chloe's truck. Kate was saying something to Chloe, a small smile on her face, and Chloe – of all things – seemed...embarrassed? Awkward? She scratched at the back of her neck, not looking at Kate even as she nodded and responded to her. As Warren parked, and took off his seatbelt, Chloe raised her head and met and held Max's gaze through the windshield.

For a second, Max expected her to look away, but she simply raised an eyebrow at Max and called: “You gonna get out of that car anytime soon?”

Max blinked, and realized that she'd been staring; Warren had gotten out already, and he and Kate were also looking at her and waiting for her. Max felt her own face heating up, and she fumbled with the seatbelt as she opened the door and went outside. The four of them turned and faced the Prescott property, and for a few seconds none of them said anything.

“You guys ready?” Max asked, turning and looking at them, from Chloe at her right to Kate and then Warren on her left.

“I am,” Chloe said, her jaw set. “After what we found at Jefferson's fucking house...” She let out a sharp, angry breath. “We need to do this now.”

Kate nodded, her mouth in a hard line. “We have to find out as much as we can, and as fast as we can, like you said Max. We – we don't have much time, even with your power.”

“Are you sure I shouldn't have stayed to keep an eye on Nathan?” Warren asked, his eyebrows furrowed with worry. “What if he shows up? I mean, Vortex Club members ditch class all the time.”

Max nodded. “I know. It's risky. Really risky. And Kate, you said that Nathan's mom could be here, and she'll probably tell Nathan that we came. But it's a risk we're going to have to take.”

“Even if that fucker knows we came here, he's not gonna know why,” Chloe pointed out. “At least, he won't know why if you don't get caught looking around the house, and we're not gonna let you get caught.”

“We'll keep his mom distracted while you're searching,” Warren confirmed.

“And with your power, you should be able to help keep her from getting suspicious, right?” Kate asked.

“Right,” Max agreed, smiling a little, feeling slightly more confident. They were a team now. They could do this. Together, they started walking toward the house.

 

-

 

“Remember,” Max said in a low voice as they approached the large front door, “We're interested in joining the Vortex Club, and Nathan said for us to meet him here. If that doesn't work...” She paused, faltering for a second. Sure, they were a team now, but they still didn't have much of a plan, or much time to think of a plan, even with the help of her power. “If that doesn't work we'll try something else,” she finished. _Right, that's really reassuring Max,_ she thought sarcastically.

They stopped in front of the ostentatious door, which also – Max noted with a lurch in her stomach – had doorknobs with a spiral pattern. _Great. As if this wasn't foreboding enough._

“Stop second-guessing yourself,” Chloe said, taking her out of her thoughts. The words seemed to ring in Max's head. She'd heard them before, and for a moment she was back in Chloe's bedroom, lit in the soft morning light, and a voice sang softly in the background: _I know you have a heavy heart, I can feel it when we kiss_.

“We can do this. We're Team Max,” Chloe went on, giving her a nudge and smiling at her, taking Max back to the present moment.

A lump formed in Max's throat, and ridiculously she felt like crying. No matter what – no matter that Max had been a shitty friend to her before, no matter that she'd dumped this unbelievable situation onto her, no matter all the horrible things they'd discovered and the ways that Max had failed...Chloe _always_ had faith in her.

Max blinked back the tears and smiled back at Chloe, unable to form words to say how much all of that meant to her, and for a long moment they just smiled at each other.

Max turned back toward the door, took a deep breath, and knocked. For a few heart-pounding seconds, she hoped that maybe no one would be home, and they could just sneak in, but then she heard clacking footsteps approaching: someone wearing heeled shoes. Max exchanged one last look with the others – they'd all moved a little closer together without thinking about it, bracing themselves – before the door opened.

Nathan's mom (at least, that's who Max assumed the woman in the doorway was) didn't immediately say anything, looking them over. Amelia Prescott – as Chloe and Kate had said her name was – looked to be in her forties or fifties. Her hair was a dirty blond, turning grey at her temples, and pinned up in an elegant twist. She wore a grey pencil skirt and a long-sleeved white button-up, and her shoes gave her an inch or two over Chloe in height. Though Nathan took more after his father, Max could still see the family resemblance with his mother: they had the same angular face, and, though she was smiling, there was something immediately _off_ about her. It was different than with Nathan, whose anger practically surrounded him like an aura, but something in her expression...Max couldn't quite put her finger on it.

“May I help you?” Amelia Prescott asked, and her voice was also perfectly polite.

“U-uhm, sorry to bother you ma'am,” Max said, stepping just a little bit forward and trying to smile normally. “We're classmates of Nathan's, and – and we're interested in joining the Vortex Club. He asked us to meet him here.”

There was a long silence after Max's words, or at least it felt long. Max's heart pounded as the older woman considered what she'd said. Then, Amelia Prescott's smile widened. “Of course,” she said brightly, giving a tinkling laugh. “It wouldn't be the first time Nathan's had the club meet here. Come in,” she stepped back, gesturing for them to come inside, and Max couldn't help looking at the others again as they stepped over the threshold.

 _We're in enemy territory,_ Max thought. _We all need to be on our guard._

The door closed lightly behind them, and Amelia Prescott led them down the hall. The floor was polished wood, and the white walls had several framed prints hung on them, both paintings and photography. They were led into the large living room; the furniture was all very modern in design, and it had a similar contrast of light and dark in it's coloring that Jefferson's house had. The couch was white, U-shaped, and bordered a black coffee table. There was a big fireplace against the far wall, and the large windows on the other allowed them to look out on the property. There was a deck that Max hadn't been able to see before, and the yard itself seemed even bigger than she'd thought, extending all the way to the dark distant treeline.

“I know Nathan carries on the Vortex Club tradition of skipping class,” Amelia Prescott said, startling Max out of her thoughts. “I remember doing the same at his age.” She wasn't looking at any of them, instead out the big window. “Please, feel free to sit down while you wait for him.” She gestured at the couch, still smiling pleasantly.

“Thank you,” Kate responded seemingly automatically, polite as ever. She sat down on the couch, Warren and Chloe quickly doing the same.

“Uh, yeah, thanks,” Chloe said as she settled on Kate's left, Warren going over to her right.

“You, um, have a really nice house,” he said as he sat.

“Thank you,” Amelia Prescott replied, still smiling. She looked at Max – who was still standing – expectantly.

“Oh – um, I was actually wondering if I could use your bathroom?” Max asked, her face heating up. “S-sorry to ask.”

For a second Amelia Prescott looked back at her, her head tilted just a little to the side, but then she smiled even wider. “Of course,” she said, gesturing toward the stairs. “Anything for Nathan's friends. It's the second door on your right.”

“Thank you,” Max said, exchanging one last look with the others as Amelia Prescott turned back toward them.

“So!” Chloe said immediately – and loudly – “Bet you see a lot of parties here!” She briefly met Max's eyes, and Max smiled at her before walking out of her sight and up the stairs.

Even just walking up the stairs, her footsteps seemed too loud. From what she'd seen so far, all the floors were hardwood, and she'd have to be extra careful to make sure Amelia Prescott wouldn't hear anything suspicious. Her hand gripped the polished railing, noticing as she got toward the top that the wall on her left had a large glass panel, allowing her to look down into the living room where Chloe, Kate, and Warren were talking to Mrs. Prescott. Max could still hear them, too – Mrs. Prescott was asking them about joining the Vortex Club.

“ - something I always wanted to do,” Warren said, sounding only slightly nervous.

“Y-yes,” Kate added quickly. “I'm in M-Mr. Jefferson's photography class.” She only stumbled a little saying his name. “With Nathan and Victoria, and that's what made me want to come here. A-and I know it can open up some – some possibilities for my future.”

“It certainly can,” Mrs. Prescott said. “Without the Vortex Club, my family wouldn't be where it is today.”

 _No shit,_ Max thought as she reached the top of the stairs, looking down the hallway ahead of her.

“Plus, we heard the 'End of the World' party's gonna rock,” Chloe said, her voice still echoing clearly from below. Max wondered if Chloe was maybe trying to be extra loud on purpose – either to cover up any noises Max made, or to make sure Max could hear her warning if something went wrong. Then again, Chloe was loud almost all the time, and that thought made Max smile fondly. Then she steeled herself, and walked down the hall, glancing back to make sure Amelia Prescott couldn't see her. The bathroom was the second door on the right, so what was the first?

Max pushed it open carefully, relieved when it didn't so much as creak, but it was just the linen closet. She shut the door, making sure to hold the knob so not even the slightest clicking sound could be heard as it closed. The third door down the hall was on the left, and looked to be a spare bedroom; it was empty, aside from a perfectly-made bed and a bare dresser. Max kept walking, keeping her footsteps as quiet as possible, turning right at the end of the hall to find herself walking down another one, with more closed doors ahead of her. The house was definitely larger than she'd been able to see from the outside.

The first door she tried led to what she thought was Nathan's sister's room; it looked long unused, but there were band and movie posters on the walls, and several stuffed animals sat arranged on the bed. Max considered searching around his sister's room, but decided against it. Granted, she hadn't seen a lot about Nathan's sister, but Max didn't think it was likely she would find what she was looking for in there.

After she closed the door, Max paused for a moment, listening. She could hear the others talking to Amelia Prescott, though not as clearly. Still, the nervous knot in her chest seemed to loosen every time she heard Chloe, Kate, or Warren speak, and she continued searching.

The next room was definitely Nathan's. Max could easily spot the empty spaces on the walls, on his desk and dresser, from the things he'd once kept there but were now at his dorm. The coloring of the room was similar to his dorm as well, with his black bed frame and desk, and the slightly-eerie photographs on the walls. The pictures weren't of women, or dead animals, but rather collapsed buildings, what looked like an abandoned amusement park, and – Max realized, a chill going down her spine – a tornado.

Max leaned out Nathan's door, peering down the hallway, listening again to the conversation downstairs, and then she moved further into the room. She stopped in front of the tornado picture, staring at it for a moment.

 _It really feels like there's a connection between the storm and the Dark Room,_ she thought. _These spiral patterns I keep seeing, this picture...is it all just a coincidence?_ Max reached up, carefully lifting the picture off of the hook. She turned it over, not sure what she was looking for exactly, but her heart still sank when she didn't see anything. If there was something else to be found with the photo, she'd have to take apart the frame to get to it, and there were other things she needed to find. She put it back up on the wall, looking around the room to see if anything else stood out to her.

She knew it was possible that a deeper search of the room would yield more results, but she wasn't sure she'd find any new information in Nathan's room at all. Sean Prescott was the one she really needed to investigate – they were short on time, no matter what her powers could do.

Still, she she peeked in his mostly-empty closet, as well as his dresser. The dresser was also largely empty, except for a birthday card in the top drawer. Max hesitated for a second, and then flipped it open. Inside was a short message from Sean Prescott, addressed to Nathan:

_In society's eyes, you are a man today._

_Soon you will prove that by helping this family achieve our destiny. Everything we have done and all we have sacrificed has been leading up to this, and leading up to what is to come. We are building our legacy, and it is time for you to be a part of it._

_Don't let us down._

Max frowned, reading over the message again. There had been similar messages in the Dark Room, and in Nathan's dorm. She put the card back, closing the drawer carefully, looking around again.

 _The more glimpses I get at Nathan's life, the more I learn how much his family – his parents – are to blame for the things he's done,_ Max thought, shaking her head. _I really shouldn't be surprised that Sean Prescott is involved – he was already a big part of this, just from how he raised and treated Nathan. If things had been different, well, who knows what Nathan might have been like in another world. In another reality..._

For a moment, Max could see it, could see herself sitting across from Nathan, laughing with him, posing for pictures with him, passing a joint to his hand – she shook her head, blinking rapidly, but she could still see it all so clearly _–_ no, she could _remember_ it. She could remember being in a dark room with him, a normal photo dark room; could feel for a moment the pressure of him sitting at her side, could even hear Victoria giggling, feel her squeezing her hand, and Max stumbled back, catching herself on Nathan's bed frame. For a moment she just held onto it, breathing, shaking her head again. After a few seconds she straightened, wiping her hand across her sweaty forehead.

 _What was that? Memories from another timeline?_ She wondered. _A life I lived, but didn't live? A life I could have lived..._ Max let out a deep breath. How could she remember a life that hadn't ever been hers, but felt and looked like it had?

 _Focus, Max,_ she told herself. _You have shit to do. You've been gone too long – better rewind._

She held up her hand, rewinding back just a little. She had to keep a delicate balance to make sure it seemed like she was gone just right amount of time. _There,_ she thought. _Now, as far as Amelia Prescott is concerned, I've only just climbed the stairs._ Max could worry about memories from other timelines later – for now she just had to keep searching. She needed to find Sean Prescott's bedroom, or maybe his home office if he had one.

Max carefully crept out of Nathan's room, closing the door soundlessly behind her.

The next door opened to reveal an exercise room, and the one after that was locked. Unfortunately, there wasn't a keypad. She'd either have to find the key, or break the lock and rewind. _I'll come back to it,_ she decided. _Maybe I'll find the key in another room._

Max opened the next door, and at first glance thought it was another guest room. There were only three pictures on the walls; the one on the right wall was large, and reminded her of ancient portraits that royal families would have. In it, the Prescotts were all standing very formally, none of them really smiling. They were dressed in expensive clothing, and were posing in front of the big fireplace Max had seen downstairs. Nathan and his sister were young kids; his sister was maybe around nine, while Nathan looked closer to four or five. They were holding hands; Nathan stood in front of his father, while his sister was in front of their mother. Sean Prescott had his hand on Nathan's shoulder, while Amelia's was on her daughter's.

The other two photographs on the opposite wall were more stylized, and clearly meant as a pair. One was a close up of a much-younger Sean Prescott, who'd looked even more like Nathan as a young man. It was only half of his face, divided down the middle, his visible eye seeming to stare right at her. The other was Amelia Prescott, also a close-up of half of her face. The pictures themselves were pressed together, giving the impression that each was just half of the same face; both seemed to be looking at her, no matter where she stood in the room. Judging by what she could see of their clothes and Amelia Prescott's hair, she would have guessed that these were taken on their wedding day, and this _had_ to be their bedroom as well.

Max stepped further into the room, looking around. Aside from those pictures on the walls, the room was rather sparse. It reminded her of a hotel room (a very _expensive_ hotel room, but still). Because of its emptiness, she wasn't sure where to start. The closet, maybe? The dresser? Maybe she would find the key there –

Before she could move further into the room, a sound came to her. No, sounds – the voices back downstairs were louder, suddenly, and Max's heart jumped in her chest. _Shit, shit, shit, what's happening?_ She ran out the door, forgetting for a moment that they would be able to hear her and know where she was, but she kept running anyway, down the hall, around the corner, and the other hallway.

Max stopped dead at the top of the stairs, looking down through the glass into the room below.

Sean Prescott stood in front of Chloe, Kate, and Warren, blocking them from her view. As Max stood there, frozen, he turned to look up at her, a smile on his face.

This snapped her out of her shock – her fear – and Max raised her hand, and rewound. She watched as Sean Prescott seemed to move backwards, out the front door again, and she pulled back even further than that, not sure exactly when he'd arrived or how quickly he'd walk in. She'd been rewinding regularly, so as far as anyone else was concerned only a few minutes had passed; but in the mere minutes that they had been there, Sean Prescott had arrived before she'd found anything. Now, she would have no chance _to_ find anything. Before, whenever she'd thought about Sean Prescott, he'd always kind of loomed like a shadowy villain in a cartoon, but now that she knew he was involved with the Dark Room...

They _had_ to leave.

The moment she stopped rewinding Max started walking down the stairs. She couldn't act suspicious, but she still had to hurry – maybe they could get out before he arrived.

Chloe, Kate, and Warren shot her startled looks as she entered the living room, and Amelia Prescott looked around at her, her eyebrows raising a little.

“Sorry,” Max said, before she or the others could say anything. “I, um, I – I just got a phone call. F-family emergency. We _have_ to go,” She said, looking right at the others, and all three immediately stood up.

“Of course, Max,” Chloe said, and with a few long strides she was standing next to her, Kate and Warren not far behind.

“Oh, that's too bad,” Amelia Prescott said as they headed toward the door. “Do you want me to call Nathan and let him know what happened?”

“O-oh,” Max said, stopping for a second to turn and shake her head, her heart pounding even faster; she could feel it in her fingertips. “N-no, that won't be necessary.”

“W – we'll tell him,” Kate added quickly. “But thank you.”

“I hope things are all right with your family,” Amelia called as they started to walk toward the door again. “And I look forward to seeing all of you again.”

“Thank you,” Max called back distractedly, walking as quickly as she could to the door. She grabbed the doorknob, about to pull it open, when Amelia Prescott's voice rang out again.

“Miss Price.” Her cool tone sent a spike of fear into Max's heart, and the four of them turned around slowly.

Amelia Prescott was standing by the entrance to the living room, still smiling pleasantly. “You dropped this, Miss Price,” She said; in her hand was a beat-up wallet with a pirate-flag style skull and crossbones on the front. Amelia Prescott walked closer, holding it out to them, her head tilted a little to the side, her smile never wavering.

Chloe took it quickly, stuffing it back in her pocket. “Thanks,” she replied. “But, w-we, uh, we've got to – ”

“Of course.” Amelia Prescott stepped back, gesturing toward the door.

Max's hand was already blindly reaching for the door, her heart pounding faster now. They needed to get out, they needed to –

She pushed the door open, turning around, only to almost run right into someone else.

It took a second for her to take in what she was seeing, who she was seeing. She looked up slowly, dread settling like a weight in her chest as Sean Prescott smiled down at her.

“Careful there,” he said mildly, stepping back, even as Max could only stare back at him, frozen. “May I help you?”

“They know Nathan,” Amelia Prescott replied, and Max's head snapped around, still unable to form words, feeling horribly boxed in. “And they're interested in joining the Vortex Club.”

“Ah,” Sean Prescott looked at them again, wearing a perfectly-fatherly smile. “The Vortex Club is a proud tradition, and is always open to new – ”

“Sorry,” Chloe interrupted, pulling on Max's hand and snapping her out of it. “Gotta go, family emergency.” Without waiting for a response, she started walking down the driveway, still holding Max's hand. Max stumbled a little at first, and then kept pace with her, even as she looked back.

Kate and Warren were right behind them, hurrying as well, but Max's attention was focused on Sean and Amelia Prescott. They'd moved closer together, and were still standing on the porch, watching Max and the others walk away.

“I take it Papa Prescott crashed the party, and you rewound?” Chloe asked in a low voice as they hurried back toward their cars.

“Yeah,” Max said, facing forward again as they started down the hill and the Prescotts vanished from sight. She let out a sharp, angry, sigh. “I didn't have time to find anything. I'm sorry you guys, this was a – a total failure, and – ”

“Don't apologize,” Kate said firmly. “It's not your fault.”

“You got us out of there,” Warren pointed out. “Even though we still ran into Sean Prescott, you got us out of there fast.”

“And besides,” Chloe said, squeezing her hand, warmth blooming in Max's chest at the gesture, “We'll figure something else out. Right?”

“Right,” Max agreed, squeezing Chloe's hand back. Chloe smiled at her, and then ducked her head, looking away.

“Right,” Warren echoed as they stopped in front of Chloe truck and his car. “And uh, not to be a pain in the ass, but...anyone got any suggestions as to what that 'something else' might be?”

Max looked back up toward the Prescott House, thinking. She'd chosen to search the house because it had seemed the less risky of the options, but she'd been completely wrong. Still, they needed to find out more about Sean Prescott – what exactly his role was in all of this. “We still need to find out what's happening,” Max said, looking at the others one by one. “And...I can't believe I'm suggesting this after all that happened here, but...” She took a deep breath, and went on: “One option is to try and search through the Prescott Offices, and Sean Prescott's office itself. I don't know if we can try the house again, but maybe if we look through his office...”

Chloe was nodding already. “That fucker is hiding all kinds of shit. We need to find it out what it is.”

“Yes, we do,” Kate agreed, crossing her arms, her face set.

“We're with you, Max,” Warren reminded her. “We know it's risky, and – and it could go wrong, but we gotta do this.”

She smiled at all of them. “Okay. Okay. So...” She let out a deep breath, closing her eyes for a second. She opened them, nodding. “Okay. If we're going to investigate the Prescott Offices, we should be more prepared – I know we don't have much time, but we came here without preparing at all, and look how it turned out.” She shook her head; she should have known better. “Let's head back to Blackwell – there's some stuff there I want to get.”

“Me too,” Kate piped up. “I printed out directions to the storm shelters in town – we can start putting them up.”

“That's great, Kate,” Max nodded at her, smiling. “The storm will be here soon, and we need to be as prepared for that as possible.” She paused for a second, and then went on. “Then, after Blackwell, we can meet at Chloe's house again.” she glanced at Chloe to make sure it was okay. “And start planning for tonight.”

“Tonight?” Warren and Kate asked together.

“Tonight,” Max confirmed. “We don't have much time. It _has_ to be tonight. Let's go.” There was another moment of silence, but this one was slightly awkward, as they all sort of seemed to hesitate.

“Y-yes!” Kate said suddenly, brightly, startling Max a little. Kate practically jumped toward Warren, grabbing his arm. “Come on, Warren.” She smiled and waved back at Max and Chloe. “See you at Blackwell.”

Max stared after her in confusion, watching for a second as they both got into Warren's car. _Huh._ “That was kinda weird,” she commented to Chloe, looking over at her. “What do you think?”

“Uh, dunno,” Chloe called back lightly, shrugging, already walking to the driver's side of her truck. Max followed behind her, getting in the passenger's side.

She looked back at the Prescott house again as Chloe's truck roared to life, and she continued to stare at it as Chloe began to drive down the road. Max let out a sigh, turning forward again. _I know we didn't find what we were looking for, but...I'm glad to be out of that place._

“Glad to be out of that place,” Chloe said, as if reading her thoughts, and Max smiled.

“I was _literally_ thinking the same thing,” she said, glancing over at her. Chloe turned her head to meet her eyes, smiling as well.

“Oh yeah?” She asked, her smile turning into a smirk and she focused on the road again.

Max couldn't help laughing softly; as kids, they'd spent so much time together that they'd often end up speaking in unison or finishing each other's sentences. It wasn't anything they did on purpose – though they loved it – but sometimes it really had seemed like they could read each other's thoughts. It felt so _good_ to be doing things like that again.

“I am glad to be out, though,” Max said, resting her hands on her knees.

“Seriously,” Chloe agreed, shaking her head a little. “I don't want to spend a second longer around that bastard than I have to.” She paused for a second, and then added: “That woman – Amelia Prescott – she gave me the creeps too.”

“I know what you mean,” Max said. “Did she do or say anything weird or whatever while I was upstairs?”

Chloe shook her head. “No. No one got the chance to really say much at all. We talked about the Vortex Club mostly, and she got a phone call, but only for a second.”

“What phone call?” Max asked, frowning.

Chloe shrugged. “How the hell should I know? She didn't say who it was, but it sounded like she was talking about seeing someone at a meeting tomorrow, and that she had to go over some notes. That's it.”

 _Damn,_ Max thought. _We really got nothing this time around._

“Anyway,” Chloe went on. “She gave me some serious creeps. She was like...Stepford Business Barbie.”

“No kidding,” Max muttered. Now that Chloe was saying it...she realized that _that_ was what had unsettled her about Amelia Prescott in the first place. The way she'd looked at them...it was like she wasn't actually seeing at them at all, and something about it reminded Max of a doll's eyes.

“We can't rule out her involvement,” Max continued. “Sean Prescott knows about the Dark Room – even more than that, maybe. And she might too. And now she might be dangerous to us.” Max shook her head. They never should have gone – it had been so _stupid_ of her to -

“Stop beating yourself up,” Chloe said suddenly, startling Max out of her thoughts. “If she _is_ involved in all of this, she'd be dangerous to us no matter what. And if you say that it would be your fault,” she added quickly, speaking over Max as she started to respond, “I will punch you in the face. Don't test me, Caulfield.”

Max couldn't help but laugh, even as she – ridiculously – felt her eyes sting with tears. She blinked them back. “Wouldn't dream of it,” she replied, and they smiled at each other again.

“So, we investigate Prescott's office tonight,” Chloe said after a moment of silence. “And then tomorrow...?”

“Tomorrow...” Max hesitated. “I don't know. I feel like there's still so much I don't know or understand, and – and the storm is going to be here on Friday, and we're not ready for that either, but we have to be.”

“We have ideas for how to help other people and get them out, Max,” Chloe pointed out. “You're more prepared this time around.”

“Yeah,” Max smiled again. “I am.”

“We do still need to figure out how _we're_ all getting the fuck out of here, though.” Chloe added.

“Definitely,” Max agreed. “Any ideas?”

Chloe pursed her lips for a moment, thinking. “We could steal a bus?” She offered.

Max laughed. “Of course that's what you'd say.”

Chloe shoved her shoulder, rolling her eyes. “Eat me. I'm serious.”

Max stifled her laughter, though she couldn't drop her smile. “I know. I love it.” After all that had happened, these timelines she'd gone through, Chloe could still always make her smile and laugh, and feel better, no matter what.

Chloe looked at her again, for a second longer this time, and then went on: “I'm telling you, we should think about it! We can't all fit in my truck, and if we wanna get out of here – ”

“You're right,” Max said, nodding. “It's something we should think about, but...do we even know anyone that could drive a bus?”

“How hard could it be?” Chloe asked, shrugging.

Max shook her head. “I don't know. But it's not something we're going to want to be trying to figure out during the storm.” _Maybe David would know how? He did drive a bus in that alternate reality,_ she thought.

“Okay, okay, you've made your point,” Chloe waved a hand. “Steal a bus as a last resort. Any other ideas, Captain Caulfield?”

Max smiled a little. “Maybe,” she said. “I'm not sure, but...in my other timeline we did get Frank to help us. And I might be able to convince him to help us this time around too, so we could all go in his RV. It's still not much of a plan, but...”

“Hey, we have my completely awesome bus-stealing plan as a backup,” Chloe reminded her, and Max felt herself smiling again, warmth rising in her chest. “We'll figure it out.”

“Yeah,” Max said, as their eyes met once again. With Chloe, she could do anything. “We will.”

(~-~-~-~-~-~-~)

“...So, we might go in this RV?” Kate asked.

“It's an idea,” Max said as they approached the girl's dorms. Chloe and Warren were waiting for them back in the parking lot. _Kate will grab the fliers from her room, I'll get my stuff, and from there we'll head to Chloe's to prepare for tonight._ Max kept running over the plan in her head again and again, though admittedly it wasn't much of a plan at all. She knew it was what they had to do, but anxiety was coiled tight in her stomach: her previous timeline couldn't guide her at all on this one.

“Hm,” Kate pursed her lips, thinking. “Can we trust this Frank? I know you said he helped you in that – that other timeline,” she said, lowering her voice a little as they passed by some other students. “But...you said he gave those d-drugs to Nathan, right? The – the ones he and Jefferson used on us?”

“He did.” Max replied, her stomach twisting at the thought. “I don't trust Frank the way I trust you, and Chloe, and Warren,” She paused.“But I think I trust him to help us. And, well...we don't have a lot of options.”

Kate nodded. “I know, Max.” She was quiet for a moment as they entered the building, and began climbing the stairs toward the dorms. “What if we rented a big car or something?”

For a moment Max's heart leapt – W _hat about the money from the handicapped fund? They could_ – but a second later she realized that wasn't right at all. Of course they didn't have that money – they'd never stolen it, not here. Max tried to shake off the strange feelings that gave her, and focused on Kate's words. “I don't have any money,” she said after a few seconds' pause. “And uh, I know Chloe doesn't either.”

“Neither do I,” Kate admitted. “And I um, d-don't think my family would send me the money.”

“I don't know if Warren could afford it on his own,” Max added. “But, having a car of our own like that would make things easier, right? Or, maybe we could steal a rental car, or some other kind of car, if we had to.” There were moments where it was kind of hard to believe the words coming out of her own mouth. She'd never thought there would be a time where she'd be discussing the pros and cons of stealing a car or a bus. _It's so surreal, sometimes,_ she thought.

Kate nodded again, this time to herself. “Staying in a shelter might be a better option,” she added. “Instead of trying to get out of town, I mean.”

“Maybe,” Max nodded. “But if we can, I'd like us to get out of town.”

Kate nodded again, her mouth set, eyebrows a little furrowed, clearly thinking hard about their plans. The sight made Max smile; it wasn't long ago that Kate looked so lost, and now...

“Tonight,” Kate went on, glancing around, even though no one else was on the stairs, “Should we, um, wear dark clothing? Cover our faces, or – or something?”

“Just to be safe, yeah,” Max replied. _Sean Prescott might already be on to us, with my mistake earlier,_ she thought guiltily, but she pushed that thought away. She needed to focus on what they were trying to do.

“Okay. Anything else?”

Max shook her head. “I don't think so. Warren had some ideas he wants to tell us about when we're at Chloe's, too, so there's that.”

They reached the top of the stairs; Max pulled open the door and stepped through. “If there are security cameras,” She went on, “I'm thinking maybe we can find the video files and erase them, or – ” Max cut herself off mid-sentence, realizing that Kate had stopped walking a few steps behind her.

“Kate?” Max asked, looking back at her.

Kate's eyes were fixed further down the hall; Max followed her line of sight to find Victoria, Taylor, and Courtney heading right toward them. At first, they didn't seem to notice Max or Kate, but then Victoria spotted them, and the three seemed to walk faster.

 _Wonderful,_ Max thought, glancing over at Kate, who was still standing frozen, though as Victoria drew closer she looked away from them, and down to the ground. Max recognized that expression: the way her shoulders slumped, how she couldn't seem to look anyone in the eye. It made Max's stomach lurch, and fury shot through her. Victoria wasn't evil, but some of the things she did were.

“Well, well,” Victoria said, stopping in front of them, Courtney and Taylor flanking her at her sides. Max half expected them to burst into song with the formation they had. “Been out partying with Kate, Max? When should I start looking for _your_ slutty video?”

Max stared back at Victoria for a second, her eyes narrowing. “Why the _hell_ are you doing this, Victoria?” she asked.

Victoria blinked, sharing quick uncertain glances with Taylor and Courtney, and then scoffed. “Uh, excuse – ”

“ _Why_ are you doing this?” Max repeated, louder, stepping toward the three girls, looking at each of them. “Kate didn't want to be in that video, or do any of the things in it! And if she had, it'd be _none_ o _f your_ _goddamn business_.” She was glaring at them now, her hands fisted at her sides.

For a second Victoria seemed stunned into silence. “What – ” Her eyes flicked to Kate and then down for a second, but Max kept talking.

“Why are you doing this?” she said again. “Go on, tell me.”

“Hey, shut the hell – ” Taylor began, and Max stepped closer to her, stopping her mid-sentence..

“Taylor, you don't have an answer either!” She said, not caring that her voice was getting louder. She could see people down the hall looking at them, could feel Kate moving closer to her, but still she kept going. “Or Courtney, or – or anybody! There's no good answer because there's no good reason to do it!”

Victoria seemed to shake herself out of her surprise, her chin coming up. “I don't – ”

“You made me feel like I wanted to _die!_ ” Kate's voice cut through hers, making all of them turn to look at her, everything else seeming to go silent. She was standing next to Max now, her arms crossed tight, eyes practically burning. “And you - you think I don't know it was you? You think I don't know it was _you_ that took the video, _you_ that posted it?” Her voice became higher, wavering, and she wiped the back of her hand across her eyes as tears threatened to spill. “Do you have any idea how scared I was? A-any idea of what h-happened to me?” Her voice broke.

“Something – something _happened_ to you?” Taylor whispered. She'd gone pale, her eyes wide.

“Wh-what do mean?” Courtney asked, looking at the still-speechless Victoria as if she'd have the answer. “Like, something...”

“Oh, so you care now?” Kate asked, giving a short laugh. “ _Now_ you want to know?”

The other people in the hall hovered on the outskirts of the conversation. Max could see Dana looking concerned, Juliet trying to get closer, Alyssa and Stella watching Kate with clear worry on their faces.

Kate glanced over at Max, and Max nodded at her encouragingly. She knew Kate wouldn't say anything about the Dark Room, or Nathan. But whatever she _did_ say, she had every right to say it. A part of her hated to see Kate like this, so angry and hurting, but at the same time pride bloomed in her chest. Kate was standing up for herself. Kate was _fighting back_.

“I was drugged at that party,” Kate said, and that confidence was there, so different from how she'd first told Max about it in her room, what felt like so long ago. She wasn't questioning herself, wasn't ashamed and blaming herself. She knew the truth, and she'd become stronger for it. “I w-was drugged and hurt, and all you did was _laugh_ at me.”

Victoria deflated; her hand half lifted toward Kate, mouth opening and closing again. She looked at Courtney and Taylor, who didn't speak either, looked unable to speak.

“I – ” Victoria began uncertainly. “I didn't – ”

“You _did_ ,” Max countered. “And you know it. You know that it's wrong, what you're doing is wrong, but you're too scared to admit it.”

It was there in that moment, plain on her face – the fear, the guilt, confusion and uncertainty – and Max could see the person buried beneath all of Victoria's bullshit.

“You can be _better_ than that,” Max pressed, stepping closer again. “All of you can.”

Victoria's eyes flicked between Max and Kate, lingering on Kate; for a moment she actually looked like she was about to cry. She opened her mouth like she was going to say something, and then closed it again. Then her chin came up, just a little, and she looked past them, squaring her shoulders. She walked right between them, as if they were beneath her notice, Courtney and Taylor trailing after her.

Max watched them as they opened the door to the stairs and began heading down, both Taylor and Courtney shooting final looks back at them, though Victoria did not. _I hope that got through to you,_ Max thought as the door shut behind the three girls. _Any of you._

Max was startled out of her thoughts as a pair of arms wrapped around her – Kate's arms.

“Kate,” Max said, hugging her back as best as she could, though Kate had kind of pinned her arms to her sides. “You were _so_ amazing.”

“ _I_ was amazing?” Kate asked, shaking her head and stepping back to look at Max. She was crying, but her smile was huge, infectious. “Max. N-no one's ever stood up for m-me like you. I...” she trailed off, and then hugged Max again, leaving Max's arms free this time. “Thank you,” she said quietly, her voice trembling a little.

Max hugged her back, just as tightly. “Of course, Kate,” Max said. “I wish I'd done it more, and sooner.”

Kate laughed, stepping back again, wiping at her eyes. “Max, I think you've done more than enough.” She smiled again, her eyes crinkling at the edges, and Max couldn't help but smile back.

“Come on,” Max said, nodding down the hall. “Let's get our stuff, and meet Chloe and Warren back in the Parking Lot.”

“Yeah,” Kate replied, walking with Max down the hallway. The small crowd that had kind of been watching their confrontation with Victoria was still there. Dana pulled a very-curious-looking Juliet away toward their dorms, though she shot a worried look at Kate and Max as they walked by. Alyssa and Stella stayed where they were, though Stella opened her mouth and seemed like she was going to say something, but the moment passed and Max and Kate kept walking.

“Meet you downstairs?” Kate asked as they stopped in front of her room.

“Sounds good,” Max replied with a small smile, waving and continuing toward her own dorm.

She stopped just outside of it, looking down the hall. Stella had gone inside her own room, but Alyssa was still there, kind of hovering by Kate's door, and Max wondered if she was thinking about talking to Kate. Max hoped so.

She opened her own door, closing it behind her, taking in the sight of her messy room. It was kind of strange coming back; over the past weeks – week – she'd hardly spent any time in it. Hell, she'd hardly been at Blackwell the past few days at all, and aside from the final visit she'd do before the storm to make sure she had everything she needed, she wasn't planning on coming back. After the storm, she might not ever be able to. Might not _want_ to.

Max shook her head, shaking off the weird feelings those thoughts gave her, and dug under her bed for her duffle bag. She'd had it for almost as long as she could remember, and it was the bag she'd always used for extended trips, or extra-long sleepovers at Chloe's. _Though, for those past sleepovers I wasn't packing clothes for breaking and entering,_ she thought as she pulled the bag out and set it on the bed.

First, though, she wanted to plug her phone into her computer. Specifically, she wanted to update her 'Chloe' playlist for tonight. She had a number of playlists for her music, different ones that she would listen to depending on her mood, but the one she'd had the longest was her 'Chloe' playlist. When she'd been living in Seattle, she would listen to it whenever she thought about Chloe, and had continued to do the same now that she was back in Arcadia Bay. The songs on it had changed over the years (and even just over the past week), as she had changed, as Chloe had changed, as her feelings for Chloe had grown. Listening to the songs always made her feel better, calmer, and with the trouble she'd been having sleeping, Max had kind of been thinking that listening to the playlist before she went to sleep could help prevent her nightmares. It was worth a shot, anyway.

While the music was syncing to her phone, Max packed her toiletries, Captain the Bear, and an extra pillow in her duffle, and then began searching through her closet for clothes.

 _Do I even have anything 'appropriate' for a break-in?_ Max wondered as she pushed aside several of her graphic t-shirts. _It's not like I have a ski mask. Or even much black clothing._ One of the few black pieces of clothing she did own was a dress, and her fingers brushed over it. It was pretty, though she hadn't had a chance to wear yet, and she immediately knew it wouldn't make sense for her to bring it, but she also felt something more than that. Something that... _twisted_ in Max's gut at the sight of it.

She let go of the dress, trying to shake the feelings off, even as a shudder worked its way over her body. She stepped back, shuddering again, but her legs felt wobbly, and she stumbled backward, clutching at the couch to keep herself from falling to the floor. Her vision swam, and she fought it, just like she did every time, but she could see it, could feel it, all around her.

She saw the blue butterfly landing on a coffin, Joyce crying so hard she could barely stand. Max saw herself standing in front of the mirror and wearing her black dress, willing herself to go because it was _Chloe's funeral_ and she'd wasted all that time and would never ever see her again –

And then Max was back in her dorm room, and she gasped as if she'd just surfaced from underwater. For a few seconds she just sat there, panting, taking in her surroundings. _Chloe's alive,_ she told herself. _She's here and she's alive._ She shook her head slowly, shifting a little so she was sitting properly on the couch, leaning forward and resting her head in her hands. _This shit's starting to get really inconvenient,_ she thought, running her hand across her forehead and through her hair. She took in a deep breath, and let out a long sigh. _Is this something I'm just going to have to get used to, for the rest of my life?_ She wondered, but then she shook her head again. _Come on, Caulfield, snap out of it. It doesn't matter. You have shit to do._

She got to her feet, a little unsteadily, and heard her phone buzz on the desk. She walked over to it and unplugged it from the computer, her fingers trembling slightly, to see a text from Kate: _Max? Are you okay?_

 _Shit,_ Max thought. _How long have I been up here? And I still need to finish grabbing everything. Shit, shit. She_ quickly typed up a response – _Sorry, meet you in the parking lot –_ and started moving around the room as fast as she could, gathering what she needed and trying to make up for her lateness. She could have rewound, but...her head hurt, and she still felt a little unsteady after what she'd seen. H _urry, Max,_ she told herself. They had plans to make, offices to break into, an apocalypse to plan for. She snorted. _Just another Wednesday in Arcadia Bay._

 

-

 

Thankfully, the duffle wasn't too heavy, even with her computer in it, so it didn't slow her down too much on her way to the parking lot. Max walked alongside the grass just outside her dorms, holding the duffle with both hands. As she crossed the quad, she saw Victoria and Taylor sitting on a bench on the far side of the grounds. Their backs were turned toward her, so they couldn't see her. As Max watched, Taylor slowly put her hand on Victoria's back, and Victoria leaned in toward her, her shoulders slumped.

 _Maybe she **will** take what I said seriously, _ Max thought, continuing to glance back at them even as she moved further and further away from them. _It seems like she's thinking about it, anyway. Maybe –_

“Max Caulfield,” a horribly familiar voice said from in front of her, freezing Max in her tracks. “Just the person I was hoping to see.”

Slowly, her heart pounding, Max turned her head forward to face Mark Jefferson.

He was saying something, but there was a ringing in her ears and she couldn't hear a word of it, couldn't look away from him. Her hands tightened on the straps of the duffle bag, and it took every ounce of her self control to keep a straight face. Her stomach rolled, her knees felt weak; with a blink, she was back in the Dark Room, and he was walking toward her with a syringe in hand. With another blink that memory was gone, and she was facing Jefferson in the open, during the day.

“ - been to class for a while. I was concerned,” Jefferson was still talking, hadn't even seemed to notice she hadn't said a word. God, he just loved the sound of his own voice, the bastard. “I was hoping I'd run into you here. Now, Max, I know I'm just some old dude who can't understand how you're feeling, but I want you to know I'm here for you, if you need to talk, or – or anything, and – ”

That was it. Max couldn't bear to hear another word of that bullshit. “I don't need to talk,” she interrupted sharply. She tried to walk past him, but he blocked her path.

“Hold on, Max,” he said, his voice gaining a bit of an edge. “You've been skipping your classes. This is serious, and not like you – ”

“You have no _idea_ what I'm like,” Max shot back, unable to stop herself from glaring up at him, her arms shaking.

He gaped at her in surprise for a moment, but recovered quickly, smiling and chuckling. “Well, you're quite right Max. But, perhaps if you would participate more, put yourself out there, like with the contest, I would know you a bit better. Art is always a reflection of the artist in some way, and – ”

“I know,” Max replied shortly, getting her expression under control again. _Your work is_ _ **your**_ _reflection all right. If only I'd noticed sooner_ , she thought. “I have to go,” she added, attempting to step around him again, only for Jefferson to block her once more.

“Max,” he said, his voice raising even more, and Max hated how her stomach tightened in fear at the sound, and tried to hold onto her anger instead. “This is simply unacceptable. You are going to _squander_ your potential – ”

“By missing some classes?” Max snorted. “Right, whatever.”

He raised an eyebrow at her cooly, a flicker of a different emotion passing over his face, and now rather than increasing her fear, she instead felt strangely satisfied. It was like she was witnessing a chink in his armor, no, _putting_ a chink in his armor. A big part of her desperately wanted to just scream at him, wipe the smile off of his face completely, tell him she knew exactly what he was, and then rewind, but she knew better than to waste her power on shit like that. Jefferson would get what was coming to him; she would make sure of it. Still, the small victories didn't hurt.

“I understand that things have been crazy around here lately,” Jefferson said after a slight pause. “So I'll ignore that and let you try again. If you continually miss class you will not be able to pass – ”

“I don't give a shit,” Max said, this time stepping around him successfully. “I have to go.” She walked past him, and didn't dare look back, though she was sure she could feel him watching her. Goosebumps raised on her arms and legs, and she shuddered at the thought. _Just you wait, you piece of shit,_ she thought. _You're gonna get what's coming to you, and soon._

It was only after she reached the front of the school that she looked back. Of course, Jefferson was nowhere in sight, and she hadn't expected him to be, but still. Max faced forward again, trying to shake off the leftover adrenaline and anxiety. She could see Chloe, Kate, and Warren below, gathered around their respective vehicles, and just the sight of them waiting for her was oddly soothing. She moved faster, nearly stumbling and just catching herself; she adjusted her grip on the duffle, and kept walking, though her arms couldn't seem to stop shaking. They were parked on the far end of the lot, and didn't noticing her coming immediately. When they did, they all turned to face her. Chloe was leaning against her truck, her hands in her pockets, but she stood straighter as Max approached. Kate waved, as did Warren, and Max waved back, picking up her pace and jogging the rest of the way.

Max saw Chloe's eyebrows come together as she got closer; she looked Max up and down, her eyes narrowing a little, and walked forward to meet her.

“Max, what happened?” She asked immediately.

“Something happened?” Warren asked, stepping toward her in concern. “I mean, Kate told us about Victoria – ”

Kate frowned at Max. “No, it was something else, wasn't it? Are you all right?”

For a second Max couldn't speak at all. _Shit, do I look that bad?_ Her arms were still trembling a little, and she set down the duffle, crossing her arms tightly, shaking her head, letting out a short laugh. “It's fine. I just – I ran into Jefferson.”

Kate's eyes went wide, the color draining from her face.

“Fuck,” Warren breathed, raising a hand like he was going to pat her shoulder. He seemed to change his mind at the last second, and swung his arm back down awkwardly.

Chloe's expression darkened, and she looked over Max again. “Are you okay?”

Max shrugged, though she smiled a little at Chloe. Her hands had finally stopped shaking. “It's fine. One of us was bound to run into him. I'm just glad it was me.”

“But you were alone,” Kate said, clearly horrified. “Oh, I should have waited for you. We need to stick together, you said so yourself!”

“Don't worry about it, Kate,” Max told her quickly. She wasn't kidding about being glad to be the one to face Jefferson: she'd faced him before and could do it again. The thought of Kate or Chloe spending one more second around him...it would have been so much worse. She didn't want Warren around him either of course, but after everything Jefferson had done to Chloe and Kate, here and in other realities...the idea of them having to face him was enough to make Max feel sick.

“You're right though,” she went on. “We should make sure we keep sticking together.” After all, Kate could have run into him (or Nathan) on her own when she was heading to the parking lot too. _I should have thought of that,_ she told herself. _I can't keep making mistakes like this._

Max jerked in surprise as Chloe grabbed her wrist. She looked up, Chloe holding her gaze as she said fiercely: “You won't ever have to face him alone again, Max. I promise.”

She wanted to say _It's okay_ or _I can handle it_ , but she couldn't look away from Chloe, and the words wouldn't come. Chloe's hand moved, letting go of her wrist only for her to grab and squeeze Max's hand. Chloe's hand was warm around her own, and for a moment Max felt like crying, but instead she smiled. “Okay,” she said quietly.

Chloe smiled back at her, squeezing her hand again, but then looked over toward Blackwell and scowled. “I hate knowing that that fucker is in there.”

“So do I,” Max agreed.

“It makes me feel like he's watching us,” Kate said, rubbing her hands down her arms. She bit her lip. “Like – like he's going to follow us or something.”

Max couldn't blame her for that. Hell, she felt the same. It was pretty much exactly what had happened before, when Jefferson followed her and Chloe to the Junkyard. Max quickly pushed those memories away – she didn't want to think about Chloe getting shot, about Jefferson drugging her.

“Weeeellll,” Warren said slowly, and they all turned to look at him. “If it helps, I may have uh, let all the air out of his tires.”

For a second they simply stared at him.

He grinned, shrugging. “I was gonna break in and put cheese under his seats too, or something, but I didn't have time.”

“Wait,” Chloe said, a look of pure delight spreading across her face. “You're serious?”

“Well,” Warren shrugged again. “I didn't want to risk him being able to drive off and find you guys. And...” he hesitated. “I know it's not much, and it – it doesn't change anything, but – ”

 _It's the small victories,_ Max thought, but before she could say anything, Kate started laughing.

It was quiet, soft, and she covered her mouth with her hand seemingly out of reflex. “T-Thank you, Warren,” she said, giving him a brilliant smile. “You're right, it – it doesn't change anything, but...thank you.”

“Uh, yeah,” Warren replied, blushing a little. “I mean, you're welcome?”

Kate laughed again, and Max could've sworn the sound was actually warming her heart. It had been such a long time since she'd heard Kate laugh.

Chloe pursed her lips thoughtfully. “Too bad you couldn't do more,” she said. “I'm absolutely down for keying that motherfucker's car.”

“Unfortunately, I don't think we could do that without someone seeing,” Max pointed out. It was great to fantasize about, though. For a moment she imagined writing something similar to 'I'M A RAPIST PIG' on his car, Lisbeth Salander-style, but they needed to get going. They had a lot of planning to do before they headed to the Prescott Offices.

“Time to go?” Chloe asked.

Max nodded. Chloe was still holding her hand, and Max didn't want to let go of it, but she did. She leaned down and picked up the duffle, squaring her shoulders. “Yeah,” She said, looking at Kate and Warren, and then back at Chloe again. “Time to go.”

(~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~)

Somehow, the Prescott Offices seemed even bigger at night. There were only two floors, but it was a wide building, and like the Prescott house had a very modern and angular design. Nothing about it seemed suspicious – it looked like a regular building – but a chill still worked it's way down Max's spine as she looked at it, and the longer she looked, the more she noticed. The landscaping was still somehow eerily perfect – thin threes bordered the entire building, trimmed so straight they almost looked fake. Unlike at the Prescott home, there weren't a lot of wide windows revealing the inside; the windows that were there seemed rather small, though the large front door leading to the reception area was entirely glass.

 _We have to find something this time,_ Max thought, gazing up at it. The parking lot was completely empty, so it didn't look like they'd have to worry about running into anyone at least. Still, they'd want to go as fast as they could – find the security room and erase or steal the footage of themselves, find Sean Prescott's office, search it, and get out. She ran over the plan again in her head, even though she'd done so a hundred times already.

“Here,” Chloe said, and Max looked over at her. She was holding out a pair of latex gloves. Warren was carrying them in his backpack, and had passed them out.

“Thanks,” Max replied, slipping them on as Warren also started passing out the flashlights they'd brought. Even though they were planning on trying to get rid of the security footage in some way, there was the possibility that they wouldn't be able to, or that the security footage was being streamed somewhere else. Warren had suggested using flashlights to solve the problem – if they pointed the lights at the cameras, it made it much harder to see their faces. It wasn't full proof, but it was the best they could do.

Max tugged on her hood, pulling it down a little more as well. If they got caught here...She shook her head. If they got caught, she could still use her powers to get them out. She could do it. _They_ could do it. They'd come better prepared this time, after all. Thanks to Warren's science knowledge, a few basic household supplies (and some double-checking online) they'd put together some simple smoke bombs, and those could give them some extra cover as well.

She glanced over at the others, who were also looking at the building looming in front of them. Kate seemed a little less nervous this time around – going into Jefferson's house had probably made her feel more confident about this sort of thing – while Warren seemed to be checking on the smoke bombs. He nodded to himself, zipped up the backpack, and carefully slung it over his shoulders.

Chloe was staring straight ahead at the Prescott Offices, her shoulders back and eyes slightly narrowed. Her flashlight was already on and raised, a metal baseball bat in the other hand. Max had talked her out of bringing David's stolen gun, and so they'd compromised. They could use it for breaking and entering if they needed, or for defense if the absolute worst happened. In any case, Chloe looked like she was ready to march into battle, and Max felt a sudden desire to kiss her again – _no, it's first time, here_ , she corrected herself – her face heating up. Sometimes Chloe was just so...she didn't even have the words for it, and this was usually the moment she'd be whipping out her camera, but now wasn't the time.

 _Focus, Caulfield,_ she thought, looking back at the building again, even as she could feel herself blushing to the tips of her ears. _We have a job to do._ She closed her eyes, let out a long breath, and then opened her eyes again.

“You guys ready?” Max asked, turning on her flashlight, Kate and Warren following suit.

“We just have to erase the security footage, then search Sean Prescott's office,” Warren replied. “We got this.” He smiled, but there was a nervous edge to it.

“We have to find the truth,” Kate said, glancing over at Max, and then at the building again.

 _The truth within the truth,_ Max thought. They couldn't come up empty handed this time. They couldn't.

“Let's go,” Chloe said, stepping forward, and they quickly followed along behind her.

* * *

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Apologies for the lateness on the updating. Real life has been not fun at the moment, and work has kept me busy. I'll do my best to get the next one out sooner, but, seriously, I'm sorry for the wait. I hope you guys enjoy this chapter in the meantime. 
> 
> Misc. Notes:
> 
> -The Prescott House is vaguely based on this picture: http://imgs.abduzeedo.com/files/gismullr/beautifulhouses/bh222/sr01.jpg  
> -We don't know anything about Nathan's mom in canon, so I basically created a character from scratch there. As we didn't ever actually see Sean Prescott in the game either, I'm sort of trying to do my own spin on things with him as well, and I hope you guys like what I do with it all.  
> -The confrontation with Victoria is something I've been wanting to write for a while, but it was around that point when I realized this chapter kind of has several instances of the characters being taken by surprise by running into someone they don't expect. I tried to keep them unexpected and balanced, but I'm open to criticism as usual.  
> -Max's comments about her "Chloe" playlist. I use a "Life is Strange" playlist when I work on this fic, and Max's playlist in the story uses songs from that. They're just songs that I think Max would associate with Chloe for various reasons (for her in-story playlist, I even checked the dates to make sure the songs would have been out in 2013).  
> -I did look up to see if it was possible to make smoke bombs out of simple supplies. But I'm not putting the directions here, obviously. The flashlight trick is also apparently fairly effective, from what my research said.  
> -Max's comment about "The truth within the truth" is me being a nerd and referencing FMA (particularly the Fullmetal Alchemist manga and Brotherhood anime).  
> -The title is, as I'm sure many of you know, a reference to Harry Potter, and the time-turner devices. 
> 
> Again, sorry for the lateness in updating. I appreciate each and every one of you for reading, commenting, and giving kudos. Thank you, and I hope you enjoyed the chapter.


	6. Excellent Adventure

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry it's been so long since this story was updated. As you'll notice, it's a long one, and that coupled with IRL bullshit caused it to be much more delayed than I wanted it to be. 
> 
> Title is a reference to the movie "Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure", which is a ridiculous/hilarious/fun take on time travel.
> 
> Any comments/bookmarks/kudos are highly appreciated! Thank you so much to everyone that's read this story and has stuck with it. It means a lot that you're here, and I hope you enjoy the chapter.

 

 

* * *

 

There was something about the Prescott Offices that seemed too still, too quiet.

Maybe it was just Max's paranoia talking. Nothing about it was immediately suspicious, though she couldn't see a lot of it with her flashlight pointed up toward the corner where the first security camera was. Getting inside hadn't been too much of a problem – no keypad could withstand Max Caulfield, Time Warrior – but when the door shut behind them, muting the noises from outside, Max had felt a kind of chill go up her spine in the sudden silence. It was like she was waiting for a pin to drop, waiting for some kind of noise, and would be on edge until it came. The others stood close to her, their flashlight beams joining hers at the camera, and for a few seconds they just looked around, taking in their surroundings.

The moonlight coming in from the large glass doors made it a bit easier to see the room; there was a big desk topped with a few computer monitors in front of them, and a sizable waiting area to the right. Behind the desk was a short hallway that led to the offices on the ground floor, but she knew Sean Prescott's office was upstairs, and it was likely the security room would be there as well. Off to the far left was another hallway that – Max assumed – would take them to the elevators and stairs. She exchanged glances with the others, and jerked her head in that direction. They walked quietly, keeping their flashlights up where they could easily find the cameras.

The four of them stayed near each other, to the point of frequent accidental contact. Max's hand brushed Chloe's, Kate's elbow bumped into her back, and Warren stepped on her heel, but she didn't mind the closeness. It felt safer, somehow.

They rounded the corner, heading down the hallway. There were only a few doors, but the signs mounted on the wall told Max she'd been correct – the stairs were ahead of them on the left – and they walked past the powered-down elevators.

The door leading to the stairs seemed to open too loudly, and Max couldn't help but wince as the sound echoed up the stairwell. Okay, so they didn't _think_ anyone was in the building, but still...

“Shit,” Chloe hissed.

“Keep your flashlights up,” Warren reminded them, his voice also too loud. He immediately lowered it. “Sorry,” he whispered as Max quickly raised her flashlight higher again, and so did Chloe.

Max waved it off. “Let's try not to talk right now,” she said, keeping her voice as low as she could while still having the others hear it.

They all nodded in response, and the four of them moved closer to each other as they started climbing the stairs. They walked quickly, even their footsteps seeming too loud. Max was thankful it wasn't a taller building: getting to the top of the stairs didn't take long.

As they left the stairwell they were more careful with the door, closing it slowly and quietly. Even though they had no reason to think anyone was in the building...it was still better to be careful.

With the small windows, the hallway seemed especially dark, and having to keep their flashlights pointed at the cameras didn't help. It also made it harder to read the door labels, but Max knew they had no choice. They might not be able to hide all the evidence of their break-in, but if they kept their identities hidden things would be okay.

They walked past each door, pausing for a second to carefully read the label next to it. The darkness made the hallway seem particularly long, and it rather reminded Max of her recent nightmare. She shook her head, chasing those thoughts away, moving a little closer to the wall to get a better look at the labels she passed.

About halfway down the hall she paused for a second longer, squinting. “Hold on,” she whispered to the others, and they all turned to look at her. “I think this is it,” she went on, gesturing to the door in front of her. The others moved closer so they could see the SECURITY label next to it. There wasn't a keypad, but a standard lock on the door.

“What should we do?” Warren asked quietly, glancing down the hall but still keeping his flashlight pointed at the nearest camera.

“I could try to pick it,” Chloe offered, just as quiet, “But no guarantees there.”

“We could try to find a key somewhere?” Kate suggested. “At the reception desk, maybe?”

They all looked toward her, and Max hesitated, thinking. Okay, so Chloe hadn't been able to pick the lock at Blackwell, but that didn't mean they shouldn't try it. Searching for a key was a possibility, though it might take a while to find anything. It was also possible that neither option would work, and they'd have to try and break in with Chloe's bat. Whatever they did, they needed to try and do it fast, too. If they split up they could try both, but Max didn't like the idea of them splitting up at all, especially for something she wasn't sure would work. They were short on time, and didn't have any to waste on searching for keys or picking locks. They needed to find what they were looking for and get out as fast as possible.

“Those are good ideas,” Max said, nodding at both of them, “But we don't have time for either.” She turned and met Chloe's eyes, as she finished: “Looks like we'll have to do some breaking after all.”

 

-

 

Max, Kate, and Warren all stood a little back from Chloe, giving her plenty of room to swing her bat. She'd been just a little-too-excited about the idea of breaking in, though less so when she realized she wouldn't remember it after Max rewound.

“One of these days you've gotta let me do this without rewinding,” she grumbled, still quietly, but Max heard her, and had to stifle her laugh.

Chloe raised the bat high above her head, and brought it down hard on the doorknob with a loud _clang_ that made Kate jump, and Max couldn't help but wince at the noise.

 _I still can't believe 'breaking and entering' is becoming a regular pastime for me,_ Max reflected as she and the others watched Chloe hit the door again, and again. For a second she could hear an echo of Chloe's voice saying _they can't charge us for just entering_ , but she pushed that memory aside.

 _We're definitely 'breaking' this time,_ she thought, as Chloe stepped back from the door, panting.

“There,” she said, her voice just slightly too loud. She lowered it, adding, “I think that should do it.”

Max moved closer, inspecting her handiwork. “Yeah, you got it,” she said, looking back at Chloe, who shot her a quick grin. Max smiled back. “See you on the other side,” she told her, and the others, opening the door and stepping in.

She immediately raised her hand and rewound. She could somehow both see and feel the door close behind her, heard the splintered wood repair itself, and stopped rewinding a little before Chloe hit the door. She glanced around the room, blinking and squinting in the light from the monitors. The security feed had been left on, and it took her a second to adjust to the brightness.

One of the monitors looked like one for a standard computer. It sat on the desk with a keyboard and mouse next to it, while the other monitors were attached to the wall behind it. There were six of them, and like at Jefferson's house seemed to be alternating between the different rooms; half were reserved for the first floor, and the other half for the second. Max watched as one of the cameras showed her the hallway, and the others gathered outside the door. Thankfully, with their flashlights up, she really couldn't see their faces, and a wave of relief shot through her.

She turned back toward the door, stepping forward and unlocking it, just in time for Chloe to come stumbling in, propelled with the force of her swing.

Max stepped forward to help steady her automatically, catching Chloe around her arms.

Chloe froze, and it took her a second to realize what had happened. She looked up at Max, blinking owlishly, and then straightened to her full height. She glanced around the room, and then back at Max. She raised an eyebrow, a smirk creeping up her face. “You tryin' to sweep me off my feet, Caulfield?”

Max could feel herself blushing to the tips of her ears, and she wanted to look away from Chloe, but she didn't. It took her just a second too long to respond, and Chloe's eyebrows furrowed a little, but Max managed to keep her voice light as she said: “It's just an added bonus.”

“Holy shit,” Warren whispered, coming up behind them, and Max and Chloe stepped apart. “You just disappeared!”

“It was like you _teleported_ ,” Kate added, lowering her voice while also seeming surprisingly excited. “Wow, that's the first time I've really been able to – to kind of see your power.”

Max knew it was silly, stupid, but for a moment she kind of felt like she was glowing. Sometimes her power caused so much trouble, so much death and hurt, and it was easy to forget how, well, _cool_ it could be. Still, she pushed those feelings back. It was dangerous to feel too good about rewinding. It was that kind of thinking that had led to her her biggest mistakes, and they had a job to do.

She smiled at the others, but went on seriously. “Let's find those video files.”

“On it,” Warren and Chloe said at the same time. They both stopped, and looked at each other; Warren seemed embarrassed, while Chloe was surprised. Warren immediately gestured toward the monitors, as if he was saying _'after you_ '. Chloe raised an eyebrow at him, smirking a little, before she turned to the desk along the wall, and sat at the chair in front of it.

Max moved to stand behind Chloe, Warren following a little behind her, and heard Kate closing the door behind them.

“Remember,” Max told Chloe as she scooted her chair in toward the desk. “Turn off the cameras, erase the files.”

“We should be able to do it all from here,” Warren assured them, and Chloe nodded.

“You got it, Bat-Max,” she replied, turning her attention toward the monitor in front of her.

Max smiled. “Thanks, Robin.”

“Could use that utility belt right about now,” Chloe added, gesturing toward the computer. “I think you're in need of a superhero upgrade.”

“I'll get right on that,” Max said dryly. “Superhero gadgets. I'm sure I can buy those online.”

Chloe elbowed her, never looking away from the computer. “Shut up. And I was talking about a costume, obviously. What's the point of being a superhero if you don't get the spandex that comes with it?”

Max let out a short laugh, “You're right. That's the most important part.”

“That and your lair,” Chloe added.

“I am lacking in lair,” Max agreed, smiling. For a moment she could feel herself talking about _building another pirate fort to keep the world out_ but the actual words didn't pass her lips. She tightened her grip on the flashlight, grounding herself to the now, this moment, this reality. She shook her head, glancing around at the others, realizing she'd kind of forgotten that they were with her for a second, and she felt herself blushing, her stomach twisting in embarrassment. At least neither Warren or Kate seemed upset: Kate was smiling, glancing between her and Chloe, while Warren looked about as embarrassed as Max felt.

“Let's see...aha!” Chloe said triumphantly, and all three of them focused on her again. “Found the kill switch.” A few seconds later, the six other monitors flashed to a black screen. “There,” she finished. “We're officially invisible.”

“Awesome,” Max told her, squeezing her shoulder and speaking at a normal volume again.

Kate let out a relieved sigh. “That should make things easier for us,” she said. She made a face. “I can't believe I was just caught on camera trespassing.”

“The flashlights protected our faces,” Max assured her.

She shook her head. “That's not what I meant. I – it's just...last week if you'd told me I'd be doing all this...” she gestured around them, shaking her head again.

“Tell me about it,” Max muttered. _You kind of get used to it_ , she thought grimly.

“Besides,” Chloe said as she selected the video files labeled with today's date, “As far as this is concerned, we were never here.” She deleted the files and stood up, pushing in the chair.

“Hold on,” Warren said. “The files could still be there. A lot of times even deleted files are still stored on the hard drive, or – or backup drives, for a while.”

Chloe paused, but then nodded and pushed the mouse toward Warren. “Take it away, Dick Grayson.”

Warren shot her a surprised glance, pulling the keyboard closer to himself. “So, uh, I'm a Robin too?” He asked, and he was smiling a little hesitantly.

Chloe blinked, and then shrugged, giving a slight smile too. “Well,” she said, “Batman did have more than one.”

Max couldn't help her own grin. _Looks like she's been warming to him a bit,_ she thought. Really, she'd figured they'd get along once they knew each other better.

“Sorry,” Kate said, and Max knew she meant it. They all glanced over at her. “But, um, we should hurry.”

“Right, I got it, sorry,” Warren said, standing up. “I think that should do it.”

Chloe pushed back her chair, also getting to her feet. “Good,” she said. “Now we can finally figure out what else these motherfuckers are hiding.”

Max nodded, her heart beating a little faster. They couldn't waste any more time. They'd already been there a while. “Come on,” she said, jerking her head toward the door.

Kate opened it, heading out into the hallway. Max, Chloe, and Warren quickly caught up with her – it was so much easier to move now that they could use their flashlights properly – and they made their way down the hall, to the end of it, where Sean Prescott's office was.

There wasn't a keypad, or a lock, and for a moment Max had a sense of foreboding. All they had to do was open that door...it almost seemed too easy. She knew, though, that it never _was_ that easy, no matter how it seemed, and they'd likely run into more obstacles inside.

She grabbed the handle, and pushed the door open.

Like everything else she'd seen with the Prescotts, and with Jefferson, Sean Prescott's office was clean, modern, and somehow creepy in its neatness, as if it were too sterile or something. There was an expensive-looking black desk with several drawers toward the end of the room, an equally-expensive-looking computer monitor sitting on it. There were some cabinets against the left wall, while the back wall was a big window, and the way it was facing gave Sean Prescott a perfect view of the town. Max could just picture him standing there, like some king looking down on his subjects, and the thought disgusted her.

Otherwise, his office was largely bare, like it was a picture of an office she'd see in a magazine. The only other thing that stood out to her were the photographs on the walls, and staring at them sent a chill down Max's body: they were all pictures of storms.

All were black and white. One was of a lightning storm, the bolts seeming to be splitting the sky itself. Another was of violent waves crashing against a rocky cliffside, a lighthouse just barely visible. The third was – of course – a vortex, whose funnel cloud seemed to take up the entire skyline. Unlike the others, that photo was a point-of-view shot; the camera made it look as though the tornado was heading right toward them.

 _This can't be a coincidence,_ Max told herself as she stared at the images. _It can't be. All of this – it – it has to mean something, right? It has to._

The door shut behind her, making Max jump a little and taking her out of her thoughts. She glanced back at the others, who were all looking around the room and taking it in.

“That's not ominous or anything,” Chloe muttered, staring at the tornado picture.

“No kidding,” Kate shivered, running her hands up and down her arms.

“It's weird,” Warren said, turning his head to the side. “I mean, timing-wise, right? With the storm coming...”

“Yeah,” Max agreed, and they all looked at her. “It _is_ weird. Everything about this is weird.” She shook her head. Sometimes she still couldn't believe half the things she'd seen, and she sure as hell didn't understand most of it. She kept finding bits and pieces of the puzzle, but she still couldn't figure out what the whole was supposed to be. “The Prescotts know something. Let's find out what.” She started moving forward, and the others followed her.

Max strode to the computer, her heart pounding. There were drawers and cabinets to search as well, but she knew her best bet would be to find something on the computer. She reached the other side of the desk, Chloe and the others just a half step behind.

Max turned on the computer, noticing as she did so that there actually was another picture she hadn't seen before, sitting next to the monitor. It was the same royal-family-style portrait she'd seen at the Prescott house. It honestly kind of surprised her – she hadn't thought Sean Prescott was the kind of guy who would have a photo of his family at work. The only other things on his desk were some pens and notepaper. She looked back at the screen as the Password box popped up.

“Okay,” she said, glancing at the others. “I don't know this password. We're gonna have to look around here and see if we can find it written down, or something that'll help us guess.”

“Like when we were at Jefferson's?” Kate asked, her eyebrows drawing together, clearly thinking.

“Exactly like that,” Max replied. “And we have to search everywhere else in here anyway. So keep a look out for anything that could be related to a password – important dates or – or numbers, anything.”

“Got it, Captain,” Warren said, giving a quick salute. He bent down, opening up the first of the right side drawers attached to the desk. Max could see some papers inside, and he grabbed one and started reading it.

Chloe went around to Max's other side, and the drawer there. She kneeled next to Max, pulling a stack of files out from the drawer, and set them down to look through them.

Kate had paused on her way toward the cabinet against the wall. She was staring out the huge window behind them, at Arcadia Bay, and she just stood there for a few seconds, looking out at the town. Then, she turned and walked to the cabinet, opening the first drawer.

Max stared at the computer screen, trying to think of something. They couldn't get stumped by a password now, not when they'd come so far. She leaned forward, picking up the pad of paper on the desk, and flipped through it. She frowned, holding it up to her flashlight. She could see faint impressions of words left on the paper...could she find a way to read them? In movies she'd seen people use pencils to read imprints of messages on paper, but did that actually work? She couldn't see any pencils in front of her, though there might still be some in the office.

“Let me know if you guys find any pencils,” Max said, and the others all looked at her. “There could be stuff on this notepad, and I want to see if I can try and read the imprints left here.”

“Hold on,” Warren said, dropping his backpack to the ground. “I think I have a pencil in here.” He dug through the pack for a second, and then made a triumphant sound. “Got one!” He pulled it out and handed it to Max. It was sharp, too.

“Thanks, Warren,” she said, giving him a quick smile, but he was focusing on the contents of the cabinet again.

Max bent over the notepad, placing the side of the pencil lead against the paper, rubbing it gently back and forth. As she did so, words began to appear on the paper; they weren't perfectly legible, but she kept going, hoping that the message could be of some help anyway.

Her heart leapt as she started to read it – the first word very clearly said 'Nathan'. The rest after that, however, was harder to read.

“Guys,” She said, getting their attention again. “I think I found a note to Nathan from his father.”

“What's it say?” Chloe asked, standing up and looking over the note with Max, standing very close to her.

“I can't quite make it all out,” Max explained, squinting at the paper. “But it's more stuff about Nathan's 'great destiny'. It says 'it's almost time', and..I think this this says 'our...lunacy?' No, 'legacy',” She corrected herself before going on. “It says 'our legacy depends on this', but that's all I can read.”

“This is all so – so _creepy_ ,” Kate muttered, shuddering. She was still by the cabinet against the wall, but she'd been listening to Max all the same.

“Seriously,” Chloe agreed darkly. “What a fucking 'legacy' to leave. Binders full of drugged girls and a trigger-happy son.”

Warren made a disgusted sound.

Max shook her head, exhaling slowly, a sick feeling in her gut. “They're at the root of all of this,” she said, “But there's nothing about a password here,” she finished. “Let's keep looking.”

“I don't think I found a password,” Warren said slowly as Kate turned back toward the cabinet she'd been searching through. Chloe also started looking through the drawers in front of her again, though she glanced up again as Warren went on: “But I did find a lot about all the different properties and businesses Sean Prescott is trying to buy around Arcadia Bay.” He shook his head. “It really _is_ like he's trying to own everything here.”

“H-hey,” Kate said, getting all of their attention. She was still over by the cabinets along the wall, and was holding a piece of paper in her hands, staring at it. “I think I found something.” She turned on her heel and walked quickly toward them, setting it on the desk for all of them to see.

“It's a – a record, about the different storm shelters they have in town?” Kate pointed at an address. “That's their house. They have one on their property, and a few others. One of them is the – the Dark Room, right?” She glanced over at Max, who nodded.

“That one is,” she replied, pointing toward the correct address. “The others...I don't know. We might not be able to use them.”

To Max's surprise, Kate shook her head. “That's not why I'm showing you this. Look.” She pointed at something written in the upper right corner of the paper. The writing was messy, but legible, and was a series of numbers: 101113.

“I was thinking about what you said,” Kate went on, and Max looked up at her. “About how it might be like at Jefferson's? And wh-while we were there, all the stuff that led us to his passwords had to do with The Dark Room, and – and the girls l – like me. And so I thought it'd be the same here, too – ” The words were coming out of her faster and faster, as if her mouth was struggling to keep up with her thoughts. “Because it _has_ to be – it can't be a coincidence. Jefferson had that – that earring of Rachel's, and that was it – nothing else suspicious or – or important, and I noticed that the only things Sean Prescott has here are these photographs,” she gestured to the storm pictures on the walls.

“A – at first I didn't know what to think,” Kate went on. “Or, or what it meant – a – and I still don't know, but these numbers, don't you see?” She looked at all of them, her eyes bright. “These numbers are a date too, they h-have to be, it matches up perfectly!” Her finger glided along under the numbers as she read the date: “October 11th 2013.”

“The day of the storm,” Max said, her heart starting to pound.

“Holy shit,” Chloe breathed, staring down at the paper.

“But – wait, wait,” Warren said. “What does this mean, exactly?”

“I think,” Max said, leaning toward the keyboard and typing in the date, “We're about to find out.”

The password was accepted, and the screen lit up bright white as the computer loaded. Her fingers tapped impatiently as she waited for it to finish, hardly able to keep her thoughts in order. What _did_ this mean? About everything? The computer desktop came into view (the background was just the Prescott Business logo) and there were several folders she could look through.

The others pressed closer to her, Warren on her right, Kate behind her, and Chloe on her left. Chloe's hand was on her shoulder, and she was leaning over, her face rather close to Max's.

For a second, Max hesitated. She kind of wasn't sure where to begin. She needed to see if she could find anything about the storm, or the Dark Room, or anything – where could she find that? Her fingers hovered over the keyboard, and she glanced reflexively at Chloe, who gestured for the keyboard. Max slid it over immediately.

“Don't know where to start with his files,” Chloe admitted, as she scrolled through Sean Prescott's emails. “But I'm sure he has shit to hide – ” She paused, frowning, opening up one of the emails, her eyes narrowing. “Shit,” She said again. “I think this is addressed to the Chief of Police.”

“Seriously?” Warren asked, astonished.

“W-wait,” Kate, frowned. “Why would...?”

“Well,” Chloe said. “This hella looks like blackmail to me.” She leaned over a little to let Max see better. “It goes on for a long-ass time about all the 'good' the Prescotts have done for the community – ”

As if on cue, Max, Warren, and Kate all made incredulous noises, but Chloe kept going.

“Blah blah blah, everything we have is thanks to the _Prescotts_ ,” she said, waving a hand, “And 'there are other contributions, to the police force and yourself, that have entitled us certain compensation'.” She finished, shaking her head. “As if we didn't know already that the police are in Sean Prescott's pocket.”

“I guess I didn't want to believe it still,” Kate admitted. “I...I can't believe they'd keep allowing the Prescotts to do these things...”

“It isn't all of the cops,” Max assured her, giving her a comforting touch on the shoulder. “And they don't know what Jefferson and the Prescotts are really doing. Before – ” she hesitated for a second, because it was still weird to say these things out loud - “In that um, other reality, after they figure out about the Dark Room, they arrest Nathan and Jefferson immediately. Once they have this evidence, they won't be _able_ to ignore it,” she promised.

Kate gave her a small smile, but she still looked worried.

“No, they won't,” Warren agreed. “We'll make sure they can't ignore it.”

Kate smiled a little wider. “Yeah,” she said, standing a little straighter. “You're – you're right.”

“Hell yeah they're right,” Chloe said as she took a screenshot of the message and then copied it to her flash drive. “These fuckers won't know what hit 'em.” Before she could say anything else, Max's eyes caught on another sent message.

“Hold on,” She said, pulling the keyboard over from Chloe. “This one's from today, and it's – it's to Nathan.” Her eyes scanned over the words, hardly able to breathe, as she started to realize what they meant.

_Nathan,_

_I can't keep writing these same messages, waiting for it to sink in, for you to realize this is what we were meant to do. Your destiny – our destiny – is almost here, and it is time for you to step forward and take on the mantle of this family with us._

She started reading out loud, not quite able to believe what she was seeing, what she was reading.

“Everything we've worked for is coming to fruition,” she said. “And it is time for you to let go of your doubt and your childish problems. The storm – ” and here she really couldn't believe it, could barely speak the words – “The – the storm will be here on Friday, and we'll need everything to be ready when it comes.” She kept going, ignoring the sounds of shock the others made. “You know where to be, and what to do afterward. There will be no more discussions. I know it isn't easy to understand, but one day you will.”

For a few seconds Max just stared at the screen. Her mind felt like it had flown into overdrive. They _knew_. The Prescotts knew about the storm – no, had _known_ about it, for much longer than she had. They'd been – they'd been preparing for it, and that was Nathan's destiny? The Prescott's destiny was the storm? How could that be? What did that –

The door in front of them burst open, hitting the wall with a _BANG,_ making all of them jump.

“Freeze!” A man called out from the doorway. “Police!”

For a terrible heart-stopping moment, Max _did_ freeze, only able to stare as the police started to come through the door, flashlights blinding, footsteps thundering, their guns raised, but then she thrust her hand forward and rewound.

Time pulled back around her; the officers went back out the door, which swung closed after them, and Max went back further – watched as Chloe took the keyboard back and then stepped away from it, watched as Kate seemed to walk backward toward the cabinets along the wall, as Warren put files back in his folder, and she kept going, kept pushing, to before she looked at the note from Nathan, before she turned on the computer, before they'd been in the room long.

Her hand dropped, and she jerked forward, catching herself on the desk. She blinked, and looked up, seeing the others standing by the door, staring at her in astonishment.

“Whoa,” Warren said. “That's, uh, gonna take some getting used to.”

“Max?” Kate asked, her eyebrows drawn together, looking confused.

“Wait, you rewound?” Chloe asked. “What happened?”

Max shook her head, standing straight. “We found what we're looking for, but we have to get out of here _now_.” She walked quickly around the desk and toward the others, grabbing Chloe's hand and pulling her to the door, though Chloe immediately came along with her, Warren and Kate right behind them. “The police are coming – they might already be here. We have to _go_. And turn off your flashlights,” she added, shutting off her own.

“Shit,” Chloe said, her hand tightening around Max's.

“W-what?” Kate gasped. “H-how did they – ”

“Did we set off an alarm or something?” Warren asked as Max paused in front of the door.

“I don't know,” she said, looking back at them. “But it doesn't matter right now. We have to go – and be quiet,” she added. “We don't know if they're in the building yet.”

She waited until they all shut off their lights and were closer to her, and then carefully opened the door, stepping out of the room. The hallway in front of them was empty, silent, and for several seconds none of them said anything, just listened.

Chloe caught Max's eye and jerked her head toward the small windows dotting the hallway. Max nodded, and Chloe let go of her hand, walked toward one of the windows, and peeked out of it.

“Anything?” Max whispered, gesturing for Warren and Kate to follow with her and she moved to stand by Chloe.

Chloe squinted, craning her neck to get a better look. “Can't tell,” she replied, keeping her voice low. “I can't see the parking lot from here.”

 _Shit._ They had no way to know if the police were already in the building, and no time to worry about it. “Let's go,” Max said, and they started down the hallway again.

At least the cameras were off, and they'd erased the files. They just had to get out – they had the information they needed (though the proof was gone, now, Max realized, her heart sinking, and they only had her memory to go by) – but they could still get out, and get away. They had to.

It didn't take long for them to cross the hallway and reach the heavy door at the other end. They opened it slowly, carefully, and Max stepped through to peer down the stairwell. There was no sign of the police so far, but Max knew they would be arriving soon, if they hadn't already.

She gestured to the others that it was clear, and they made their way down the stairs, trying to strike a balance between moving quickly and moving quietly. They were going as fast as they dared, but somehow it still felt too slow, the door at the bottom too heavy; they only hesitated for a second before opening it, not sure what they'd see on the other side.

All four of them pushed against it. Max went through first, pulling the door open the rest of the way to let the others through, keeping it steady so it wouldn't creak. She closed it just as carefully, and they started heading down the hallway toward reception.

A slight sound came to her, and Max stopped, Chloe, Kate, and Warren crashing into her from behind, their feet scuffling too-loudly on the floor, but they froze immediately afterward. Max lifted her hand toward them in a 'wait' gesture, and carefully crept forward to peer around the corner at the end of the hall.

The police had arrived.

For several seconds she couldn't move, couldn't breathe. They were climbing out of their cars – the sound she'd heard had been the doors shutting – and there were five, no, six officers. They already had their flashlights and guns out, and were talking to each other and gesturing toward the building.

Max stepped backward, throwing her arm up and rewinding again. When she stopped, the police hadn't gotten out of their cars yet, and it took her a second to realize that the others had now only just come through the door to the stairs. She stumbled back toward them, tripping over her own feet, but they hurried meet her, and it was Chloe who caught her this time.

“P-police,” she managed, trying to quell her rising panic. “Outside.”

“Fuck,” Chloe said, her hold on Max tightening for a second as she looked around, clearly trying to find another way out.

They all snuck to the end of the hallway, looking out beyond it to see the police cruisers, and the officers again starting to climb out of them.

“W – what do we do?” Kate asked.

 _We have to do something, we have to do something,_ Max thought, but she couldn't move, could hardly think – she could rewind, but what would that do? The police would still see them. They were trapped, and she'd led them to yet _another_ mistake.

“Max?” Warren asked, but she hardly heard him, because it didn't matter they'd erased the footage, they were going to get caught and it was all her fault –

“Max!” Chloe said, as loudly as she dared, and Max blinked, glancing at her, and then toward the officers again.

“I – ” She said. “I – I don't – ” _Pull it together, Caulfield,_ she told herself. “Shit, um, we – we need to find a way to get around them, get out the door – ”

“The smoke bombs!” Warren said, slipping off his backpack and reaching inside.

“Yes,” Max said, relief shooting through her – they'd planned ahead, they weren't completely unprepared, they could do this – “And, and we'll need to get them away from the door, so we can get through – ”

“Got it, Max,” Warren said, and he took a deep breath, and then walked right past her, going into a crouch as he passed the end of the hallway.

“Warren!” Kate said, slightly too loud. “What are you – ”

He kept going, glancing toward the door as he quickly crossed the distance to the reception desk, hiding behind it.

“Warren!” Max whispered as loudly as she dared, looking at the door that the police were just now starting to head toward. “Get back here!”

“I have an idea,” he said, thankfully keeping his voice low. He shot her a nervous smile. “Just, uh, back me up with your rewind, okay, fearless leader?”

She flicked her eyes toward the door again, her heart pounding. The cops were going to open it any second, they had no real time to discuss a plan. What other choice did they have?

“God _dammit_ , Warren,” She said, and he smiled.

“Sorry,” he replied.

“Just don't do anything – ” Max began, but she didn't get to finish and say ' _stupid_ ' because that was the moment the officer in front pushed open the door.

Max carefully stepped back, though she knew they couldn't see her from their position, and they couldn't see Warren either. The officer in front that had opened the door – she couldn't tell if she knew him in the dim light – simply held it open, and looked back at the other officers. They started talking to each other quietly, and the officer let the door close, preventing Max from hearing any of their conversation.

Max watched them, hardly breathing, one arm extended to the side as if to stop Chloe and Kate from charging out too. She glanced at Warren; he was keeping an eye on the officers at the door as well, but he also reached up to grab something from the desk. Max couldn't tell what it was.

The officers were still talking, but they were raising their guns and their flashlights now, and facing toward the door together.

Warren crept to the edge of the desk, holding whatever he'd grabbed from the desk. He was facing toward the other dark hallway, his back pressed up against the desk. He craned his neck to look around the corner toward the front door, watching as it opened again and the officers stepped through.

Max ducked back behind the corner, completely out of sight. She could see the beams of their lights moving on the opposite wall, steadily growing bigger as they stepped further into the room. She looked at Warren again, watching only him now, trying to be ready for anything, whatever his plan was.

He glanced around the desk one more time, and then lifted up one of his hands, and drew it back, flicking his wrist and throwing something into the hallway in front of him. Max heard a faint sound – a tapping? – and all the beams of the police's lights immediately pointed toward the hallway. The cops didn't saying anything (at least not that she could hear) but she could tell from the motion of their lights and their faint footsteps that they were heading toward that hallway.

Warren stayed crouched, and started moving backward, following along the inside of the desk to the other side in order to stay out of sight. He had one hand up to keep himself steady, and Max held her breath as the police got closer and closer, and Warren inched away. He reached the corner just in time, and looped around to the front of the desk as the officers drew level with the hallway behind it.

The cop in front looked back at the others, who all stayed in formation, guns and lights raised. The front officer made a gesture Max didn't understand, and then pointed his hand down the hallway, and they started walking again.

Warren edged along the front of the desk, coming up behind the officers with only a few feet between them, the smoke bomb out and ready in his other hand.

Max almost rewound automatically, almost made a sound – he was so close to them, _too_ close, if they turned around the cops would see him for sure. Her eyes darted from Warren to the officers disappearing from sight down the hallway, one by one, and she moved her arm out of the way for Chloe and Kate, getting ready to head for the door when Warren made his move.

Warren shifted slightly, moving up onto his toes, ready to spring up, watching the last of the officers head into the hallway. Max couldn't see them anymore, but she was pretty sure Warren could; he craned his neck, leaning out a little from the desk to see them better, and then he lowered his arm, pressing a smoke bomb to the floor – Max's muscles tensed in her body, coiled like a spring, because it would be any second now, any second they'd have to go – and he carefully, quietly, rolled it toward the hallway.

The moment it left his hand he turned on his heel, and Max was crouched and heading for the door, holding Chloe's hand in her own while Chloe held Kate's, all of them walking together. Max glanced back to watch the bomb's progress, but they weren't even halfway to the door when it went off.

It was louder than she expected, making her jump and gasp a little automatically, but she only stopped for a second, even as dark smoke _exploded_ into the air, the officers behind it making sounds of shock; they were saying something, or shouting maybe, but she didn't try to hear it, just kept moving. They couldn't afford to be loud, draw attention to themselves, no matter how much she just wanted to run: they had to get out the door and get to where they'd parked the car. They were almost there, almost, she could still see the door through the quickly-thickening smoke, just a few more steps and...

Her palm connected with the glass door, and she let go of Chloe's hand to carefully push it open. She stumbled out of the building and into the parking lot, grabbing Chloe's hand again, the others close behind. They'd only made it a few more steps before another bomb exploded behind her, making her jump again, her ears ringing.

She got a glimpse of Warren grabbing Kate's hand (and where he had put the second bomb) before dark smoke clouded everything: it seemed like he'd dropped it just after they got out the door, but then she heard unfamiliar voices shouting to her left.

 _Shit,_ she thought. _There are cops waiting out here too!_ She hadn't been able to see them from inside, and she squeezed Chloe's hand tightly in her own, moving forward again. She was pretty sure she was going the right direction, so they just had to be quiet and stay together. They had to get to where they'd hidden the car, had to keep moving, and everything would be all right.

The smoke was thinning the further she walked, and her heart felt like it was in her throat as she stepped out of it, the last of the parking lot coming into view.

Max exhaled in relief, looking back at the others to make sure they were all with her, but she didn't break her stride, continuing to pull the others along with her. They had to keep moving, the smoke wouldn't stay long out in the open air, they had to get out of the parking lot before –

“ _Freeze_!”

She jerked to a stop, breath caught in her throat. She could see the light from the officer's flashlights silhouetting them, casting her shadow on the pavement ahead of her, but she didn't turn to look at them.

The police said something else, but she couldn't hear them, could barely breathe. She felt Chloe's hand slide out of her own, and Max glanced back, squinting in the brightness, to see her, Kate, and Warren tremblingly raising their hands above their head. She could hardly see the officers walking toward them through the lights, and for a second all she could see was HIM, outlined in light, the world seeming to tilt around her, she couldn't focus couldn't breathe couldn't move, he had her he had her –

Max blinked, shaking herself out of the memories, turning her head forward again, away from the officers, dread settling like a weight in her stomach. _Fuckfuckfuckfuck_ , she had to rewind.

She lifted her hand, and even though she wasn't actually holding anything, she could still feel her grip on time as she pulled it back. If they had to, maybe they could make a run for it, they just had to get out of the parking lot before the officers saw them, they could do it, they had to –

She dropped her hand, released time, and lurched forward, feeling blindly behind herself for Chloe's hand, and then she glanced back and did a double-take.

Chloe, Kate, and Warren weren't behind her anymore. With a rush of horror, she realized they were still in the building.

 _Shit. Shit, of course they didn't move through time with me! How could I have been so **stupid**?_ They were inside and the officers that caught them were right there and they'd see her any second. She had to get to the others, get back inside, but what could they do? The cops were right on top of them, and she could keep rewinding but she'd leave the others behind and there was nowhere for them to hide, nowhere to go, no way to run, they were trapped and it was all her fault –

 _Nonononono,_ She shook her head, lifting her hand again. She hadn't come this far, done _all_ of this, for everything to fall apart now. She had to try _something_.

Max's hand strained in the air, reaching; there was nothing solid for her to grab, though somehow she could _feel_ time as she held it, in a way she never could quite explain out loud. Still, it was there in her hand, and she kept pulling at it, even as she felt herself hit a wall. There was no other word for it, what kept her from going back further, that feeling when she was at the edge of her limits. The time in her grip seemed to stretch in her fingers, made her body vibrate with the force of it, but she kept pulling, again and again and again –

– _and she could feel the weight of Chloe's body on top of her own, but it was cold now, and even as Max shook her and begged and cried she knew it was too late, she'd failed AGAIN_

Max shook her head, blinking to try and get away from what she was seeing, but the sounds of it thundered in her ears, and she could smell the storm and taste blood on her tongue –

_no matter how many times it took, she'd go back and back and back a n d b a c k_

_they were GONE and it was all her fault_

_she had to save them, save everyone, but her legs shook and she fell to her knees_

_the bullet burned as it tore through her, and she wanted to scream, fuckfuckfuck it hurt it hurt it –_

Max gasped, doubling over, fighting to keep herself upright, her hand still raised. She'd felt that heat in her abdomen, the blood bubbling up from her lips, and could hear Chloe crying, and still through it all something else: her own voice, though she couldn't quite make out all the words.

“– _Prescott's had been planning for this day – ”_

“– _right choice – ”_

“– _and live with what you've chosen.”_

Max's hands fisted in her hair as she sank into a crouch, holding herself up on the balls of her feet, curling tightly into herself, her head pressed to her knees, eyes clenched shut, as if that could stop her from seeing more.

The seconds ticked by, but to her surprise nothing more came to her – no other lives, no different realities or – or memories, nothing. She was panting, the sound of it so loud she couldn't hear anything else, and she could feel blood dripping down her nose. The air felt...wrong...somehow. Different, but in a way that was familiar too, and each breath seemed sharp in her lungs. Time wasn't vibrating or – or _stretching_ in her hand anymore, threatening to snap, though she could still feel it there. She was still holding it.

Max opened her eyes, lifted her head, and realized why it felt familiar. She wasn't pulling on time anymore: she'd stopped it.

The two officers were by their car, frozen halfway in motion, and if she squinted she could see Chloe, Kate, and Warren crouched low to the ground, Warren still by the desk, Chloe and Kate just barely emerging from the hallway. The other officers were there too, not yet hidden by the smoke bomb.

 _Well,_ she thought, a slightly hysterical laugh escaping her, sounding somehow flat in the still air, _the police did tell me to 'freeze'._

Max stepped forward. It kind of reminded her of walking underwater. The air wasn't solid, exactly, but _thick_ , somehow. She took another step toward the glass door, and then another. Before, when she'd done this (though it hadn't ever happened here, in this time, she reminded herself) every step forward had felt like there were weights holding her back. Every second she'd spent holding time still had been a struggle, and she'd felt like her head was going to burst open, like she was banging it over and over against that imagined wall, but now...

She looked down at her hands. She didn't even have her right one up like she had then, like she always did when she rewound, but time was still frozen around her. _How..._ She thought _. How is this happening? I don't understand!_ Her hands were trembling a little now, and she squeezed them together to stop it, shaking her head again. It didn't matter. She could think about all that later, but for now she had to figure out how they could get away.

She'd stopped time, which meant she could move around as she pleased, but that didn't do anything to help the others. _Think, Caulfield,_ She told herself. _What can you do? Just take a second and think it all out. There_ _ **has**_ _to be a way out of this._

When Kate had jumped – Max tried to not think about seeing her fall that first time, her body plummeting to the ground – and she'd stopped everything, she'd been able to get up to the roof with her. She'd managed to push open the heavy doors to get to Kate, so...could she move other things? No, more than that...could she move other people?

Max looked over at the police standing by their cruiser. _One way to find out,_ she thought, and she started walking toward them.

It really did remind her of moving in the water. Every step was slowed, and the air felt strangely heavy as she moved through it, but she kept going. She stopped once she reached the officers; one was looking out toward the road beyond the Prescott Offices. The other was holding a walkie-talkie, but both of their backs were to her, which Max was grateful for. Even though she knew they couldn't move, it would have been even weirder to be doing this with them looking right at her.

She glanced up and down them, wondering exactly what she could do. She reached forward, but then hesitated. Moving a door was one thing, but they were people. Would moving them while they were frozen in time...would it hurt them?

Her gut twisted at the thought. Again, there was only one way to find out.

Max waited another second, and then willed herself to reach forward, and pulled on the arm of the officer holding the walkie-talkie. To her relief, it was easier than the door had been; like with her own movements, it was slower and heavier, but she could do it. She paused once more, checking his arm for any sign of injury, but she couldn't see any. His arm moved _with_ her, and she wondered if it worked kind of like the stuff she carried: her bag and photos and even the hammer she'd used to get to the fire alarm when she'd first saved Chloe...If she had physical contact with it, could she move anything with her through frozen time?

Max opened up the officer's hand, leaving the walkie-talkie to hover in the air, and grabbed his other one, bringing both of his hands together, behind his back. Then she reached for the handcuffs hanging from his belt, and quickly cuffed his wrists. After doing the same thing to the other officer, she considered the two of them for a moment. Would that be enough? It'd stop them from drawing their guns, make chasing after Chloe, Kate, and Warren harder...but the cops could still catch a glimpse of her or the others if they turned around. Her eyes scanned up and down them again, looking for something she could use to prevent that, when a thought came to her.

Max hesitated for a second again, her eyes flicking up to the officer nearest to her, and then she started digging through the pouches on his belt (carefully avoiding the gun in its holster), as well as his pockets. There was a lot in there she could maybe have used somehow, like the taser and pepper spray, but she made a noise of triumph when her fingers closed around what she'd been looking for: sunglasses. She opened them up and placed them on the officer's face, smiling in satisfaction. _They shouldn't be able to see anything through these,_ she thought, moving to the other officer to do the same thing with his sunglasses.

Well, that was one problem down, and what felt like a million more left to go.

She stepped away from the two officers, and shuddered, feeling something wet on her lip, just as a wave of pain rolled through her head. She wiped her sleeve under her nose, a line of blood trailed across her arm as she did so. Maybe freezing time was a _little_ easier now – and even the headache was rapidly fading for the moment – but that didn't mean doing it for too long was a good idea. She had to hurry.

 _Okay,_ she told herself. _You have those two taken care of. Now you **have** to get the others out of here. Can I...can I move them, too?_

Because of her rewinding, Chloe, Kate, and Warren were back inside, and if they were going to have a chance to get out, she needed to give them a hell of a head start. How well would it work, though? They were a lot bigger than an arm, and heavier than a door, and she couldn't move as fast as she'd like in this frozen time, but she pushed those thoughts away. She still had to try.

The glass door opened fairly easily under her palms, and Max tried to ignore her feeling of unease. She snorted to herself. Had it really gotten to the point where she was instantly suspicious of anything going right for her? Well, it wasn't like she didn't have reason to be, but she shook off that thought and made a beeline for the others. The bomb hadn't even gone off yet, though Warren had already rolled it toward the hallway and had turned to head toward the door. Chloe, and Kate were doing the same, frozen in motion, stopped before they could even register that she hadn't been with them anymore.

For several seconds (could she call it that? Did time technically pass when she had frozen it?) she just looked at all of them, trying to think of what to do. She didn't know how long she would be able to stop time, so she needed to find the best and fastest way to do this. Her eyes rested on each of them for a second, and she wished they could talk to her, but she tried to focus on what was happening in that moment, not what she _wanted_ to happen.

Kate was probably the lightest, so Max stepped around Chloe to Kate, hesitating for only a second before she put her hands on Kate's shoulders. She pushed her, lightly, and to her relief Kate's torso moved fairly easily. _Come on, Caulfield, it's not like you can just march her to the door_ , she thought.

Max bit her lip. Could she...carry Kate? Like when she and Chloe would carry each other sometimes while playing in a pool? She wasn't actually in water, and everything would have more weight, but it was the best thing she could think of. Besides, she'd figure out pretty quick if she couldn't do it.

Max bent down, carefully unclasping Chloe's hand from Kate's, and hooked one arm under Kate's knees. She kept the other on Kate's back as she lifted her legs, holding her rather like how Max's parents had when she was a kid, for those times she'd fallen asleep while watching a movie and they'd carried her to bed.

Max stepped forward, carefully, again feeling like she was underwater. Kate _was_ oddly weightless, in a way; her body didn't move unless Max moved it. She had a kind of buoyancy, almost, as if the frozen time would keep her floating wherever she was, but there was a _solidness_ that slowed them down all the same. Still, Max kept walking.

She pushed open the door with her back this time, careful to watch her step so she didn't trip with Kate in her arms, looking out across the parking lot and to the road. They'd parked the car by a hotel just down the street in order to keep it from looking suspicious, and it hadn't seemed like a long distance to get back to it before, but now...

 _Hey,_ she remembered Chloe saying once (though in this moment she couldn't remember if she'd really heard it, if it'd actually happened) _We can do this. We're team Max._ She repeated it in her mind, over and over. It didn't matter how far it was, how slowly she moved. They were a team, and all of them believed in her. She couldn't let them down.

Max took a deep breath, gripped Kate tighter, and started heading for the road.

 

-

 

She couldn't help but wonder how long it all took her. As far as anyone else would be concerned it happened instantly, but the seconds still passed for her – for only her – and that made it all feel longer. Who knew; her concept of time was somewhat different, to say the least. She hadn't truly experienced eternity, but she was beginning to guess what it felt like, after all she'd been through.

Walking through a river of mud in time didn't even compare to that, not really, but still she wondered.

Max wiped her sleeve across her nose again. Even with the dark material, she could still see the blood staining the fabric. She shook her head to clear some of her dizziness, blinking rapidly. She was almost done, almost. Just a little bit more.

Warren was frozen in the air next to her, half curled up as Kate and Chloe had been when Max was carrying them. She'd been right about time 'holding' them in place, and she'd let him go so that she could get that second smoke bomb ready. He'd had the right idea of using it when they got outside, and even though they were going to be much further away when it went off this time, she still wanted it to give them extra cover. With luck, the cops wouldn't even realize they'd left the building until they were well away from the Prescott Offices.

 _There,_ Max thought, stepping back. The bomb was frozen in the air like Warren, but the moment time resumed it would drop, and go off. _Okay,_ she told herself, facing Warren again. _Let's keep going._

She started walking. The street seemed even further away than it had before, though she knew it wasn't. She'd made this walk twice already, but maybe now she was so close to the end it seemed somehow out of reach. Her arms were starting to ache, and with every step it felt like she was trembling more and more; for a second her knees buckled beneath her, but she managed to keep her balance. She just had to get out of the parking lot, and get to the hotel. Chloe and Kate were already waiting there by the car, and once they were there they could get away. It would be all right. She wouldn't fail again.

Max kept her eyes forward, not focusing on anything else around her. She couldn't. She had to keep her eyes ahead, keep her mind on where she was going. Everyone was depending on her; for a moment she could hear Chloe in her ear: _You're almost there, Max,_ and she didn't know if it was a forgotten memory or her imagination, but her voice echoed in her head over and over. _Almost there, almost there, almost there almost there almost –_

She could see the car now, Chloe and Kate's frozen figures next to it. If she could, she'd be running to it. Instead she dug her feet into the ground, and with every push of her knees her body shook, and her legs threatened to collapse. _Keep going, Max. Almost there, almost, come on, almost –_

She was breathing faster now, panting, pushing pushing pushing to find whatever strength she had left to go just a little bit faster, little bit harder, she had to go go go go, it was right there, right there, _almost there almost –_

Max stumbled, leaning against the car to stay on her feet as she released Warren again. For a few moments she just stayed there, breathing, before she swayed forward, straightening out Warren's body and limbs, making sure his feet were on the ground, like Chloe and Kate's were. She'd tried to make it so that they wouldn't fall or hurt themselves when she let go of time, though she wasn't sure she'd succeeded, because right then she couldn't bear to stay any longer.

Finally, _finally_ , she raised her hand again. It was shaking, and she closed her eyes, letting out a deep breath as she felt for that grip she was keeping on time, and released it.

The world snapped back into motion, everything sliding together and moving all at once, and Max fell forward on her hands and knees, just barely keeping herself from landing flat on her face.

“Wha – what the FUCK!” Chloe shouted, and Max heard her stumble, and catch herself on the car.

Kate wobbled to the side, tripping over her own feet and falling to the ground as well. “W-wait...” She said. “Wh-what's...”

Warren jumped about a foot in the air, and very nearly fell backward. He didn't seem able to make any kind of coherent words. “Wh – we – wuh – uh?”

Max couldn't say anything to them, just staring down at the sidewalk, her hands bracing herself up. As she watched, a drop of blood, and then a few more, dripped onto the cement, and she took in a shuddering breath.

“Max!” Chloe said, immediately getting down next to her, putting her hand on her back. “Shit, are – are you okay? What the fuck happened?”

Max pushed herself up, leaning on Chloe for support, looking around in a bit of a daze, nodding but still not quite able to form words.

Kate's eyes widened as they took in her face. “Max!” She cried, climbing to her feet and walking toward her in concern. “Your – your nose!”

Warren had paled. “Oh man,” he said, crouching down in front of her, reaching forward like he wanted to pat her shoulder, or hug her or something, but he pulled his hand back a second later. “That – that doesn't look good. You okay?”

“ _Shit_ , Max,” Chloe said, turning her shoulders so she could see her face. She gathered the end of her sleeve and brought it up to Max's nose, wiping at the rest of the blood, her eyebrows furrowed with worry. “What _the_ _fuck_ happened?” She repeated.

“And how did we get here?” Warren added. “Did we...it's like we, um, teleported with you, but – ”

Max let out a short laugh. “You did, p-pretty much,” she said, shakily getting to her feet, Chloe helping steady her. Warren and Kate stood as well, Warren offering his hand to Kate to help her up, and she accepted it, giving him a slight smile in thanks.

It took a few seconds for Max to be able to go on. “I, uhm, had to freeze time to get us out of there, and – and I – I pushed you guys through time with me.”

“H-hold on,” Warren said weakly, gaping at her.

“You _what_?” Chloe interrupted. “What the fuck does that mean?”

“How – how did you...?” Kate began, before she stopped, seeming at a loss for words.

Max shook her head. “Wasn't sure I could. I'd pushed things before, but – but I didn't know what else to do. W-we were trapped, and...and there were officers everywhere, they were going to get us, and...” She trailed off, her eyes burning. “I h-had to try something.” For a second her voice caught in her throat, but she forced herself to keep going. She _had_ to tell them what they'd found. “That – that doesn't matter, though.”

“Like hell it doesn't!” Chloe shot back, scowling, her grip on Max's shoulder tightening.

“Max,” Kate said, eyebrows furrowed in concern. “Of _course_ it – ”

“It doesn't,” Max repeated, speaking over them, her voice stronger now. “We don't have time to talk about it.”

“Max – ” Chloe began, and Max knew that stubborn tone of voice, and she shook her head, standing taller and trying to ignore the way her vision swam. She blinked to clear it.

“No,” she insisted. “It doesn't matter because the Prescott's – the Prescotts know the storm is coming. Knew. _Have known_ , for – for a while.”

“ _What?_ ” Kate and Warren said together before Max could continue.

Chloe gaped at her. “How – how the fuck could they know that?”

“I don't know,” Max ran a hand over her aching head. “But that doesn't matter either, because this – this means the storm, it – it's not tied to you at all, Chloe.” She looked toward her as she said it, meeting her eyes. “They've been preparing for it all this time, and that means...” Max paused as it all slid together. “That means it was _always_ going to come, no – no matter what, and – and there's nothing we can do to stop it,” she finished.

For several seconds, none of them spoke, but there wasn't time to let it all sink in.

“And we have to go,” Max continued, glancing back down the street toward the Prescott offices. “I got us a head start, but we shouldn't stick around.” She jerked her head toward the car next to them. “I'll explain more, I – I promise, but we _have_ to go.”

“R-right,” Warren said, who looked somewhat dazed. He shook himself and then headed toward the driver's side of the car. As soon as he unlocked it Kate got in the passenger's side, as she had on their way over, and Chloe hovered by Max as she too-slowly made her way toward his car. One of Chloe's hands was at her back, supporting her, the other holding Max's hand, and Max squeezed it tightly, forcing herself to walk faster. They _had_ to get going.

Chloe slid in first, and Max crouched to get in after her, nearly tripping over the floor mat, Chloe's keeping her steady.

“Here,” she said, leaning across Max to reach for the door and pull it closed, which was momentarily distracting. She was bracing herself on the seat with one hand, and they weren't actually touching, but it was still close enough that Max thought she could feel her body heat, or maybe that was just the flush creeping along her own skin.

Chloe leaned back into the car, settling in her seat as Warren started it up. “Max,” she said, and held her gaze, her voice very serious. “You okay?”

Max nodded. She did feel a bit better now, mostly just tired. “Yeah. I – I'm all right.”

Chloe's eyes narrowed a little, and she opened her mouth a little like she was going to say something, but then Kate spoke from up front as the car began to make its way up the street.

“Y-you said you'd explain, Max,” she said, turning a little in her seat to look back at her.

Max nodded, putting on her seatbelt with slightly fumbling hands, glancing at Chloe to make sure she did the same. “Yeah,” she said. “I'll explain, but – but that doesn't mean it's gonna make any sense,” she warned.

“I'm starting to get used to that,” Warren remarked, shooting her a quick smile in the rearview mirror.

“Just tell us what happened,” Chloe said, putting her hand on Max's arm.

“Okay,” Max said, glancing through the window behind them, just before they would make a turn that'd take them out of sight of the street. There were no signs of police cars yet, but she'd still keep an eye out for them. “We found what we were looking for,” she said, like she had before, and she told them the rest.

 

-

 

“Please, _please_ let me know as soon as you get back to Blackwell,” Max said as she stepped out of Warren's car, Chloe getting out after her and closing the door.

“Of course, Max,” Kate said, smiling a little, before she looked out her window again. Like Max, she'd regularly checked to see if the police were following them, and still seemed slightly nervous.

“And let me know if you need anything,” Max added, mostly to Kate, but she looked at Warren to make sure he was included in that as well.

“Aye aye,” Warren said, giving a two-finger salute. He looked down at the note in her hand that he'd written. “And you guys let us know what happens with that,” he went on, nodding toward it.

Max nodded. “We will,” she promised. “Drive safe,” she finished, raising her hand to wave.

“See you guys tomorrow,” Chloe called, nodding at them as they started to drive away, both Kate and Warren waving back at them.

Max and Chloe both watched as they drove away. Max kept her eyes on them until they turned out of sight, and she sighed, looking over at Chloe.

“Ready to leave this for David?” She asked. She lifted the note in her hand for emphasis. Warren had written what Max had dictated, in careful, slow, blocky print that didn't even look like his own handwriting:

DAVID

MARK JEFFERSON AND THE PRESCOTTS ARE DANGEROUS. YOU'LL FIND THE EVIDENCE YOU'LL NEED IN HERE. YOU HAVE TO STOP THEM.

Chloe's expression had tightened at David's name, but she nodded, and started heading for the front door, Max close behind her. “Looks like Step-douche isn't home yet. We should be able to leave the evidence for him without him seeing.”

 _And my rewind will keep me off the cameras,_ she thought _._ Shit, that was something she'd almost completely forgotten about. _One problem at a time, Caulfield,_ she told herself. _You've got bigger fish to fry, remember?_ At this point she was rather looking forward to seeing Jefferson and the Prescotts burn.

They reached the front door, and Chloe unlocked it, pushing it open with the side of her fist.

“Chloe?” Joyce called from upstairs.

“Yeah!” Chloe yelled back. “And Max is here too!”

After a few seconds, Max heard footsteps from above, and then Joyce appeared at the top of the stairs. “Startin' to get used to you being around,” Joyce teased lightly, smiling at her before giving her a big hug.

“Not ready to kick me out yet?” Max asked, smiling, hugging her back just as tightly.

Joyce laughed. “Honey, you'd have to do a hell of a lot to get me to kick you out.” She smiled back at her, but that smile shifted when she looked at Chloe. Max felt a prickle of annoyance. She loved Joyce, and knew she'd been through a lot and was doing her best, but...sometimes it felt like she talked to Chloe as if she was looking for someone to blame. Which made sense, considering Chloe did the same thing.

Still, Joyce just said: “Glad you're home before curfew, for once,” and raised an eyebrow at Chloe.

“I try to be fashionably late,” Chloe replied, and Max couldn't help but smile a little.

“Is that what you kids are calling it these days?” Joyce asked, crossing her arms.

“Something like that,” Max interjected before Chloe could respond. “I've, um, we were going to head upstairs while I did some homework...”

Joyce nodded. “Of course, honey. If you guys want dinner, there's leftover chicken from the other night. David hasn't been home yet, and won't be for a while.”

“Oh yeah?” Chloe asked, keeping her voice casual, but Joyce still shot her a look.

“Don't you start,” she warned, continuing before Chloe could respond, though Max could feel her bristling. “He said something about a student playing a prank and letting all the air out of a teacher's tires – ” At this, Max exchanged a look with Chloe, now trying very hard not to laugh out loud – “So, there's still plenty of grub for everyone.”

“Got it,” Chloe said, already turning and walking the rest of the way up the stairs.

“You're _welcome_ , Chloe,” Joyce called up after her, and Chloe actually stopped on the stairs, and climbed back down to look at her. There was an odd expression on her face, and for a second Max wasn't sure she'd say anything, but then she did.

“Thanks, mom,” she said quietly, looking at Joyce and then away again.

Joyce blinked at her in surprise, and then smiled softly. “You're welcome,” she said again, this time sincerely.

Chloe shot her a small smile, nodding a little, and then turned and went up the stairs again.

“Thanks,” Max echoed, smiling at Joyce as well before she followed after Chloe.

 _Good thing I don't feel dizzy anymore,_ Max reflected as she reached the top of the stairs. Then again...there was something kind of unsettling about that too, how quickly she'd recovered. _Or am I just completely paranoid at this point?_ She wondered as Chloe opened the door to her room and they stepped inside. _Ugh, I just wish all of this would make sense for once._

Gathering the evidence didn't take too long – including photographs like the still of Sean Prescott in the Dark Room, as well as the passwords she knew – and it all fit in the manilla envelope Kate had provided. They folded the note in half and taped it to the outside, and then Max gave Chloe a small smile.

“You won't remember this, but I'll see you in a minute,” she said.

“Wait,” Chloe said, reaching out a little and then lowering her hand. “Are you _sure_ you're good to do this?”

“Positive,” Max said, touching her arm reassuringly.

Chloe nodded. “If it ends up taking longer than you think, I'll keep an eye out for Deputy Asshole.”

Max snorted, unable to keep from smiling a little. Chloe's creative nicknames for David were always funny, even if they were rude.

“Back in a flash,” Max said, and Chloe raised an eyebrow.

“Been working on that one?” She teased.

“...Maybe,” Max replied, smiling wider now.

“Could use _more_ work,” Chloe said, sighing theatrically. “Clearly, I need to be in charge of your catchphrases.”

“This coming from the girl who says 'awesome sauce',” Max pointed out dryly.

Chloe just gave a shit-eating-grin. “Come on, man, don't deny the sauce that's awesome.”

Max laughed, covering her mouth a little with one hand, the movement jostling her hold on the envelope she was holding, reminding her of what she was supposed to be doing. It was just so easy to fall into that familiar rhythm with Chloe, she'd kind of forgotten about everything else, if only for a moment.

“I'd, uh, better get going,” Max said, jerking her head toward the door.

Chloe nodded, her smile fading, and Max turned and headed out of Chloe's room, shutting the door behind her. She tucked the envelope away inside her shirt, and carefully stepped toward the top of the stairs, peering down it. She wasn't sure if Joyce was downstairs, or in her bedroom. Keeping one hand on the rail to help herself stay steady, Max crept down the stairs, careful to lightly skip over the one that always creaked. She reached the bottom and stopped for a moment, listening. She couldn't hear any sounds of someone in the kitchen or living room. The kitchen light was still on, but the rest of them were off, and again Max was reminded of her dream from before, of that endless hallway surrounded by darkness. She shook off the feeling, and headed through the front door, making sure to close it quietly behind her.

The night air was a little chilly, but she ignored it pretty easily, using her phone flashlight to navigate down the short pathway toward the big garage door. She hesitated outside of it. Leaving the envelope outside was a risk, but David needed to see it right as he drove up. The sooner he had the information, the sooner he could start bringing down Jefferson and the Prescotts. She nodded to herself, and raised her hand, rewinding to before she'd ever left Chloe's room or gone down the stairs.

Before she released her grip on time, a thought came to her, and she held on a little longer. She slowed down her rewind, bit by bit by bit, easing off of the pull. She kept her eyes open, and watched as the world stilled around her – from the fireflies in the yard, to the slight breeze in the air – and she could hear words still, could feel herself being both there and not there, but right then it was like static in the background, and she could ignore it if she concentrated.

She stopped, and hesitantly lowered her hand. The world stayed frozen around her, and for a second Max couldn't quite believe it.

 _I've done this three times now,_ she thought, feeling a bizarre urge to laugh. _Wowzer._

She'd been bleeding over this not even a half hour ago, and now...

Pain bloomed across her skull, and she stumbled a little on her feet, but stayed upright. She clutched at her head, correcting herself. Maybe it _wouldn't_ be all that painless. Still, the headache had eased to a dull throb for the moment, so she pulled out the envelope and set it down against the large garage door.

It wasn't as direct as a text message, but she didn't think she'd be able to do that anonymously now. David knew who she was, was more prone to be automatically suspicious of her. _He'll find it. He'll find it and arrest them._

Max let out a breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding, and nodded to herself. It wasn't a good idea for her to hold time much longer, and she needed to get back to Chloe. She ran a hand over her aching head, and then began to make her way back inside the house, where she would let go of time once again.

She held it through the door, up the stairs, and into Chloe's room, before she released it.

“ - sure you're – shit!” Chloe jumped a little, looking from the spot in front of her (where, to her, Max had been only a second ago) to Max now standing by her door, leaning against the wall.

“Still gotta get used to that,” Chloe said, walking toward her. “Guess that also answers the question of if you're good to do this.”

Max smiled a little, straightening. “It's done,” she said. “And I'm fine.”

“Really.” Chloe crossed her arms, raising an eyebrow, and giving her a _look_.

“I have a headache,” Max admitted, running a hand over her head again, wincing. “But that's it. I'm totally fine.”

Chloe pressed her lips together, looking over her again, and Max braced herself for Chloe to push the issue, but instead she nodded. For a few seconds, neither of them said anything, until Chloe broke the silence. “So, now we wait?”

“Now we wait,” Max agreed.

She nodded, crossing her arms a little tighter, and silence came between them again.

Max wished Chloe's window had a view of the driveway; she felt antsy, on edge, a strange mixture of fear and excitement. Knowing that it was coming, that Jefferson and the Prescotts were going to face justice, possibly within hours, and she had to just sit there and wait for David...

Chloe's voice took Max out of her thoughts. “Fuck it,” she said, turning and heading toward her desk. She opened one of the drawers, and after riffling through it for a few seconds made a triumphant sound, pulling out a little baggie of what was unmistakably weed.

Max couldn't help but smile. Of course that was what Chloe would do in this situation.

She placed the baggie on the desk, and then paused, keeping her back turned toward Max. “Do you, uh, want some?” she gestured vaguely in the direction of the baggie, and Max blinked at her in surprise.

Chloe had never asked her if she wanted to smoke, probably because she'd known that Max would say no. And before – in a before that had never existed here – she would have been right. Now, though...

“It might help with your headache,” Chloe shrugged. “And...” she hesitated again, before plowing on: “I sleep like a fuckin' rock most of the time after I smoke, and, and last night you...” She trailed off, making a vague gesture with her hands, but Max understood, and she nodded.

“Yeah,” she said, pressing a hand to her head. “I know.” She'd brought her 'Chloe' playlist with her in the hopes that it would prevent her bad dreams, but if smoking helped too she was definitely willing to consider it. She was starting to forget what it was like to sleep without having nightmares. Besides, she'd done so many new things with Chloe, things she never would have considered before, so what was one more?

She walked over to Chloe, standing beside her at the desk. “You'll have to show me how to do this,” she said, and Chloe looked at her, a surprised smile lighting up her face.

“Ah, everyone's a noob their first time,” she shrugged, smiling wider, and bumped her shoulder against Max's. “Looks like I'm still influencing you to break the law.”

Max laughed. “Some things never change,” she agreed, bumping Chloe's shoulder back.

“Like how you're a smartass?” Chloe asked, as she reached into the baggie and pulled out a partially-used joint.

“Naturally,” Max said, smiling wider. “Wouldn't want to disappoint you.”

Chloe snorted, rummaging in the drawer again until she pulled out a lighter. “Disappoint?” She asked, before her voice became overly dramatic, reminiscent of a parent dropping their kid off at school for the first time. “My little Max is all grown up and doing drugs.” She wiped an imaginary tear from her eye. “I'm _so_ proud.”

Max pushed her lightly, laughing. “Don't make me change my mind!”

“No take-backs, Maxaroni!” Chloe insisted, smirking.

Max rolled her eyes, but her big grin probably ruined the effect. She couldn't help it; being here with Chloe was just so familiar and right, she could almost forget about everything that had happened, everything that could _still_ happen.

As she watched, Chloe lit the joint, the end flaring red as she breathed in, and then she lowered the joint, holding her breath for a few seconds before she let it out. The smoke seemed to half-settle on the ground, like a haze, and she handed the joint to Max.

“Normally I'd be starting you off with my bong,” She said, like it was obvious. As if sensing Max's confusion, she explained: “You can put ice in it, and that makes the smoke less harsh. But it's hella dirty right now, and I can't clean it with Joyce here.”

“Oh,” Max said, even though she didn't really understand. She had no frame of reference for any of this, and she was sure that was obvious by how gingerly she was holding the joint. “Should I just – ?” She lifted it up, miming bringing it to her lips, but Chloe lifted a hand to stop her.

“You saw how I did it, right?” She asked, and Max nodded. “Okay. You're not gonna want to take as big a hit as that, though. I'll light it for you the first time, so you get an idea of what to do.” She turned the lighter on and off for emphasis. “Oh, and try to hold the smoke in for a few seconds if you can, but it's okay if you have to cough.”

Max nodded again, and after a second's hesitation, brought the joint to her lips, looking at Chloe to signal she was ready. Chloe leaned closer, flicking on the lighter, holding it up, while Max moved the rest of the way to meet her, and breathed in.

 

-

 

“Man, that thing is fucking creepy,” Chloe said, after she exhaled, the smoke blocking the screen in front of them for a moment.

“No-Face used to give me nightmares,” Max admitted, fumbling blindly for the joint Chloe was holding out to her. She'd been smoking periodically through the movie, taking small hits to make sure she didn't overdo it, resulting in a high that had sort of gently come over her. She was listing a little to the side now – almost leaning against Chloe, actually, she realized belatedly.

“Maybe hold off, Super-Max.” Chloe said. “Unless your powers include a high weed tolerance.”

Max snickered. “ _High_ tolerance.”

Chloe actually facepalmed. Max was pretty sure she'd never seen anyone do that in real life before, and that just made her laugh more. God, she hadn't laughed this much since...well, she honestly couldn't remember. She felt lighter, somehow. Like something had been constricting her chest, and for the first time she could really breathe. The Prescotts and Jefferson were going down. Sure, the storm was coming, but she had a team now to help her figure out a plan. She was here, with Chloe, watching one of the movies they'd loved when they were kids. There'd been a time – in a time that didn't exist, a time she no longer knew – when she hadn't thought she'd ever be able to do things like this again.

“Come on,” she told Chloe. “You know you loved that one.”

“No comment,” Chloe replied dryly, but she was smiling. She put out the joint, getting to her feet to set it back up on her desk, and then sat down next to Max again, closer than before, their arms pressed together. They were leaning up against Chloe's bed, sitting on the floor, watching _Spirited Away_ on Chloe's laptop. There'd still been no sign of David, as far as Max had noticed, but thanks partly to the smoking and partly to Chloe's company, she wasn't really thinking about it at the moment.

Chloe shifted a little next to her, her leg brushing against Max's, who felt very aware of the contact. Yeah. There were definitely other things on her mind. When they'd first started, Max had been unable to help thinking of movies where couples had passed smoke to each other through their mouths, and the idea of doing that with Chloe sent a flash of heat through her, even just remembering it now. She deliberately kept her eyes focused on the movie, waiting for her face to cool down.

“So,” Chloe said, and Max looked over at her automatically, though she wasn't sure she'd stopped blushing yet. “How're you feeling?”  
For a second Max didn't know how to respond, and then she realized Chloe was talking about her headache. “Oh! Oh, much better,” She said, smiling. “I wasn't even really noticing it anymore.” It was still there, just a little, but it was definitely an improvement.

Chloe smiled back, looking rather pleased with herself. “Good.” She nudged Max with her shoulder. “So, you gonna join the stoner ranks? We have brownies.”

“Mmm, brownies,” Max said. “That was the key all along.” She was only half joking at that moment; they'd already gone through most of a bag of chips, but brownies of any kind did sound amazing. _People aren't kidding when they talk about 'the munchies',_ she reflected.

Chloe laughed, but then went on more seriously. “No, I – I mean, do you think you'll want to...do this again?”

Max glanced over at her. Even though in some ways her senses felt kind of dulled, in other ways it was like she was hyper-focused. When she looked at Chloe, everything else seemed to kind of tune out, though that sometimes happened even without the influence of drugs. Chloe had kept her from having too much; it wasn't like when Jefferson drugged her, and she hadn't been able to control her body. She just felt...relaxed, more than anything else.

“Yeah,” she said. “I do.” She hesitated, and then added before Chloe could say anything: “Thanks.”

“Uh, for what?” Chloe asked, giving her a strange look. “The pot?”

“Well, yeah,” Max nodded. “That, of course, but I wanted to say thank you for...for...” She struggled to figure out exactly what she wanted to say, what she was feeling, and she couldn't tear her eyes away from Chloe. Her hair was sticking up a little from taking off her beanie, and the light from her computer kind of made it look like she was almost glowing. It reminded her of that night in the pool, a night this Chloe had never known, a night that didn't exist now, but Max could still hear an echo of her voice: _You're like the smartest, most talented person I've ever known._ Could hear Chloe telling her that they were connected. That she was there to guide her. That of course Max could do it, do anything, she was _Max-Fucking-Caulfield, Time Warrior_ , and together they would take over the world.

And now, Chloe still believed in her, after everything that had happened and all the ways Max had failed, Chloe was here to rub her back after her nightmares and to tell her it would be okay.

“For everything,” Max said finally, quietly. “Thank you, Chloe.”

For a second Chloe didn't respond, just stared back at her. And then she blinked, and looked away, still seeming confused. “Uh, okay,” she said. “That's not vague or anything. You're welcome, I guess?”

Max laughed a little, even as for a moment she felt a bizarre urge to cry. It wasn't as if she expected Chloe to remember what had – hadn't – happened before, that wouldn't be fair. There was no way Chloe _could_ remember, but the fact that she didn't hurt all the same, in a way Max didn't understand.

Still, she smiled. “I'm just...really happy to be doing this with you,” she said. “After – after everything that's happened...” She paused, and shook her head. “Talk about some things never changing,” she said, smiling again, her chest feeling a little lighter at this thought. “Sleepovers with you are a constant I guess.”

“So is breaking and entering, from what you told me,” Chloe pointed out, and Max laughed loudly at that. She lowered her voice to reply:

“True,” she said. “But that's your fault, remember?” She shot Chloe a sideways grin. “You're a good bad influence.”

“It's what I'm best at,” Chloe agreed easily, smirking.

Max snorted, and for a few seconds they just smiled at each other, until it suddenly became darker in the room, and they both jerked in surprise.

“Oh,” Max said, glancing at Chloe's laptop, where the end credits were now playing. _Whoops._ She'd really kind of tuned out the movie after a while there. She hadn't even realized they'd talked through the ending.

Chloe ejected the disk, and Max saw on her computer clock that it was nearly midnight. They had to get up fairly early tomorrow, especially if they were going to buckle down on planning for the storm. _And, if I want to try and set something up with Frank, tomorrow's the day to do it,_ she thought. _Still haven't seen any sign of David yet either...who'd have thought he'd have to stay_ _ **this**_ _late?_

“We should probably go to bed soon,” she said reluctantly. She kind of wished she could just stay up all night with Chloe, like they sometimes did when they were kids.

“Got a lot of shit to do tomorrow,” Chloe agreed, sounding a bit disappointed herself. “But we could chill for a while still, listen to music or whatever, if – if you want.”

“Of course I want,” Max assured her. “I'm too wired to go to sleep right now anyway. Are you sure it won't be too loud, though?”

Chloe snorted. “Trust me,” she said flatly. “If it was too loud, Joyce would let us know. Besides, these walls are fairly soundproof, thank God. Means I've almost never heard Joyce and Sgt. Pepper having sex.”

Max made a horrified sound, muffling her mouth with her hand even as she started giggling. “Oh – oh God, why would you say that?” She asked, kicking at her. “Now that's in my brain forever!”

“Hey!” Chloe said indignantly. “At least you've never actually heard them.” She shuddered.

Max considered that. “Good point,” she said, patting Chloe's shoulder sympathetically. “Now let's never, ever, _ever_ , talk about it again.”

“Right,” Chloe agreed, getting to her feet and stretching her arms over her head. “Music time.”

She walked to her desk, where their phones were. Max had brought along her auxiliary cord, so Chloe could plug her phone into her hi-fi for music instead of just relying on CDs. While she was getting that ready and choosing music, Max changed into her pajamas. She did it quickly, feeling oddly self-conscious, even though she knew Chloe was preoccupied with the music.

When she was done, Max turned around to see Chloe standing by the hi-fi, looking down at her phone but seemingly not doing anything.

“Decisions, decisions,” Max called out to her, and Chloe actually jumped.

“Ah, shit,” She said, laughing a little, sounding a bit embarrassed. “I – uh, zoned out, sorry.” A second later Max could hear the first quiet strumming of an acoustic guitar, and Chloe turned on her heel to head back toward Max, though not before grabbing her joint again.

Max sat down on the edge of the bed, feeling strangely awkward. She looked down at her knees while Chloe turned off the only lamp she'd left on, and closed her computer, meaning the room was now only lit by the christmas lights lining the walls.

Max blinked, trying to adjust her eyes to the dimness as Chloe sat on the bed beside her. She flicked the lighter, casting a sliver of red light along her face, the end of the joint glowing again as she breathed in. When she exhaled a few seconds later, Max could just make out the cloud of smoke drifting from her lips, and again she thought of that smoke passing between them, and she looked away.

“Step-douche is taking a while,” Chloe commented after a second, and Max turned toward her again.

“I was thinking about that,” She admitted. “It, uh, kinda makes me nervous.”

“You're _sure_ giving the evidence to him is the right thing to do?” Chloe asked again.

“Yes,” Max said patiently. “I've explained it to you, and you know it's true.”

Chloe shrugged. “I know, I know, it's just...” She paused. “It's just hard to picture it, I guess.”

Max could picture it, but she could also remember – even though she'd never seen it, even though she knew she'd come out of the closet to help Chloe – the backside of David's hand smacking across Chloe's face, feeling the shock as if she'd been the one hit, and then the anger that simmered under her skin, waiting to blow.

“I know, Chloe,” she said, reaching over and placing her hand on top of Chloe's for a second. “David's hurt you. But I also know this is what we've gotta do to take down Jefferson and the Prescotts.”

Chloe ducked her head for a second, nodding. Again, there was silence, but Max didn't feel like she needed to say anything. She realized that she was still holding Chloe's hand, and gave it one more squeeze before pulling back.

“What do you think will happen to them?” Chloe asked, her voice very soft. “In the storm?” With her hand free again, she lit her joint once more.

“I...haven't really thought about it,” Max admitted. Even though she knew now that the Prescotts had known about the storm, they had kind of existed separately in her mind. She really hadn't thought about what would happen once they were arrested. _One thing at a time_ , she thought. “I'm more concerned with how we're getting everyone else out.”

“You can't just make everyone evacuate,” Chloe said. “I mean...it's not like we can get the government involved.”

“I know,” Max said. Okay, so maybe she was biased due to fictional examples, but getting the government involved in any of this screamed Bad Idea. Still, though, maybe she could move people out if she had to. She moved Chloe, Kate, and Warren just a few hours ago, after all...

“But that includes us too. We need to make sure we've got a way out of here.”

“So, we see Frank tomorrow,” Chloe said, and Max nodded.

“I also want to put up more of those posters Kate printed out,” she added. They only had tomorrow before the storm would arrive, and Max tried to push away the anxiety that clawed at her with that thought. For a few seconds neither of them said anything; a new song on the hi-fi started playing, another familiar one, though before Max could place it Chloe's voice distracted her.

“I still say we should steal a bus,” She said, and Max laughed.

“Who knows?” She asked, shrugging. “Stranger things have happened.” _That's for sure,_ she thought _._

Chloe laughed with her, shaking her head a little. “God, no fucking shit. I still can't believe you moved us through _time_ with you.”

“Well, it was frozen time,” Max said, as if that made it more reasonable. “It wasn't like I pulled you guys back through time with me.”

“Oh it was only _frozen_ time,” Chloe said. “Excuse me. That's completely different, _obviously_.”

Max rolled her eyes. “Shut up. It really wasn't...” Max frowned, trying to figure out how to put her feelings into words. “It wasn't easy...” she said cautiously. “But when I did it in that um, other timeline, to – to save Kate, it was...” she let out a deep breath. “It felt like my head was going to crack open the whole time, but when I did it earlier, it wasn't like that. It felt...it felt like I could do more without – without it hurting me as much. I don't know.”

“What're you, like, leveling up?” Chloe asked, and even in the dim light Max could see her frown.

“Leveling up?” Max repeated. “Maybe.” It was something to think about, anyway. “I just wish I – I understood more, about all of this.” She shook her head. “Every time I think I understand, it turns out there's just so much more I don't know...” Before, hadn't she been so sure that the storm was connected to Chloe? Everything had seemed to point her in that direction, and if she hadn't come back...

The realization was like a punch in the stomach. If she hadn't come back, if she'd used the butterfly photo, she would have let Chloe die for _nothing_. Her stomach twisted, and for a second she thought she'd be sick.

“Max?” Chloe's hand was on her shoulder, and Max looked up at her, almost jerking back in surprise when she noticed how close they were to each other. She knew she should say, well, _something_ , but she could barely breathe, let alone talk. Chloe wasn't moving, wasn't speaking, either. Max felt like she was supposed to move, or – or maybe she wasn't? They were so close now that she was pretty sure she could feel Chloe's breathing, and her heart was pounding loudly in her ears, but not enough to block out the music, which seemed to swell in their silence: _and as the world comes to an end/I'll be here to hold your hand/'cause you're my king and I'm your lionheart._

Max blinked, tearing her eyes from Chloe to look over at the hi-fi. _Wait._ The song...it was one of the ones on her 'Chloe' playlist. And the one before had sounded familiar, she just hadn't been paying attention. _H-hold on, Max,_ she told herself as it started to come to a close. _Maybe Chloe just has the same song._

Within the first few seconds of the next one, though, she knew that this was her playlist. She glanced over at Chloe, who was still watching her, and Max had a feeling Chloe had been waiting for her to notice the music. It took several moments for Max to be able to speak, her voice caught in her throat as 'Obstacles' played on.

“This...” she said, clearing her throat before continuing, “This is...” She still couldn't form the words, looking over at Chloe, expecting her to deny it, maybe, but Chloe just nodded.

“Yeah,” she said, moving her hand down Max's arm, her fingers just brushing her, sending goosebumps along her skin. “It is.”

Again, it took Max a second to speak, and when she did her voice was quieter than she meant it to be. “Why – why did you...?” It was still a struggle to form complete sentences.

“You look through my shit all the time,” Chloe shrugged, but she ducked her head again.

“That's not what I meant.” Max said, but she wasn't even sure what she meant, really, how to describe the feelings surging through her.

Chloe nodded, but didn't answer the question. Instead she looked up at Max again, and asked one of her own: “Why do you have a playlist named after me?”

There were a lot of reasons Max could have given for that, and they all seemed to get tangled in her head. “Chloe, I...”

She was close enough now that Max could see her face in more detail, and she realized that she'd also been moving toward her. Chloe's hand was on top of hers, lightly, just barely touching her, and for a moment Max's heart was in her throat as she felt Chloe's other hand come to rest on her knee.

Her mouth had gone dry, and her voice was practically a whisper now. “I...”

A _BANG_ , like a car door being slammed shut, made Max jump about three feet into the air.

“What the fuck – ” Chloe got up, heading for her bedroom door as they heard the unmistakable sound of an engine starting, tires squealing, and she was out the door a second later, Max only a few steps behind.

Joyce stepped out of her bedroom as they were climbing down the stairs. “Was that _David_?” She asked, her tone suggesting there would be hell to pay if it had been.

Chloe reached the bottom of the stairs, and threw open the door. “Looks like it,” she said, and Max was there just in time to see the last glimpse of his headlights before he turned down another street and disappeared from sight. Chloe turned back toward her, and they exchanged a look as Joyce came to stand by them.

“What in the hell was that about?” Joyce asked, scowling. “He woke up half the damn street! I'm gonna call him.” She lifted her phone to her ear, and then raised an eyebrow at Max and Chloe. “Why don't you girls head back to bed, though. Don't you have class in the morning, Max?”  
“Uh, yes ma'am,” Max said, shooting her a quick smile, even as she felt a little guilty for the not-quite-lie. She _did_ have class tomorrow, even if she wasn't actually planning on attending. She exchanged another look with Chloe, and they headed back up the stairs to her room.

“Guess he found the evidence,” Chloe said as soon as they were inside.

“Last time, I don't think it even took 24 hours to get Jefferson arrested,” Max told her. “I doubt it'll take much longer now.” It still felt like too much time to wait for Kate to finally see justice, for Jefferson and the Prescotts to pay for everything they'd done, but that didn't matter. They could wait a little longer.

“Tomorrow, then,” Chloe said, walking further into the room and stopping at her desk. Max knew that she was looking at the Rachel posters still sitting there. “And then Friday the storm will be here.”

Max came to stand beside her, gently putting her hand on Chloe's arm.

Before she could say anything though, Chloe spoke again: “What are we going to do after? After the storm, I mean.”

“Oh.” The question took her by surprise. Mostly she'd hadn't thought beyond making sure Chloe and everyone else survived the storm. The idea that she would get beyond this week...she didn't even know how to feel about it; it was practically a foreign concept. “We should probably go see my parents,” she said after thinking it over for a minute. Then she laughed. “I think after we've survived the tornado, they'll be pretty forgiving about how much class I've missed.”

She expected Chloe to laugh too, maybe tease her about being a delinquent now, but instead Max felt her tense, and she stepped away, crossing her arms and pacing to the middle of the room. Max followed her partway there, confused. “Chloe...” She began, but Chloe spoke over her.

“You're okay not going to class?” She asked.

Max blinked at her, not understanding. “Uh, what do you mean? We've got more important things going on.”

“Yeah, I know,” Chloe said, turning to look at her. “But...going to Blackwell's been your dream for years. _Photography_ has been your dream, and now you just...”

“Chloe, Jefferson's there. You really think I want to keep going to his classes?” Max asked. She didn't get where this was coming from. Chloe hadn't seemed to care about her missing classes before.

“That's _not_ what I mean,” Chloe said, irritation starting to color her tone. “It's – it's like you don't even care, Max! When we were kids all you would talk about was going to Blackwell and being a photographer! On – on Monday you were just – ” She stopped, suddenly, realizing.

“I was a different Max on Monday,” Max reminded her quietly.

“...I guess you were,” Chloe said, and Max was surprised at how much the words hurt, even though they were true. “So, what, the new you just doesn't give a shit about school?”

Max shook her head, still not understanding where this was coming from. “Since when do you care about me missing class?”

“Since _you_ stopped!” Chloe retorted, her eyes narrowing.

“It doesn't matter!” Max insisted. How could Chloe just not get it? Of course it didn't matter, how _could_ it matter when she had to save her and everyone?

For a second Chloe just started in disbelief, her mouth slightly open, and then it snapped shut and she scowled. “Right.” she said, her voice tight. “It doesn't matter. Of course it doesn't.”

“What's _that_ supposed to mean?” Max asked. _Okay, now_ _ **I'm**_ _starting to get mad_. “We've got bigger shit to worry about than – ”

“Okay, fine, there's a killer tornado so you don't want to do homework, whatever!” Chloe said, throwing her hands up in frustration. “But what about those fucking nosebleeds, and – and you fainting and seeing and hearing all this different shit? What about that, huh? 'Cause you keep saying _that_ doesn't matter either.” She stepped closer to Max, and Max clenched her fists at her sides, her arms shaking.

“I don't know what to do about any of that, Chloe!” She shot back. “I don't know what the _fuck_ is going on, so right now – right now, yeah, it's the least of my problems.” Her heart was thundering in her ribs, and though she was trying to keep her voice low enough that Joyce couldn't hear anything, she didn't know if she was succeeding. Her breath felt like it kept getting caught in her throat, and she blinked rapidly.

“ _Least_ of your problems?” Chloe asked, her voice raising a little too much, and she lowered it. “Max, you're fainting and bleeding at random! _And_ you're having nightmares, but you keep saying you're fine!”

“Chloe,” Max began, but Chloe spoke over her.

“You're _not_ fine, Max,” she said, “So don't you fucking say you are.”

“Right,” Max retorted, anger and fear and anxiety knotting in her stomach. “Like _you_ always tell me exactly how you feel. You're just an open book!”

Chloe glared. “We're not talking about me, Caulfield, because I'm not the one bleeding like a stuck pig from my nose every day!”

Max opened her mouth to respond, but Chloe kept going.

“It doesn't matter that you're – that you're missing out on your dream school, it doesn't matter that you're bleeding and fainting and, and, shaking and can't sleep through the night!” Chloe said, getting even closer to her, practically in her face. “So let me guess! It doesn't _matter_ if you get hurt or die, either, huh? It doesn't _matter_ what that would – _fucking_ – ” and she actually pushed Max, sending her stumbling back a few paces, almost tripping backward over the bed. “Your family would have to BURY you!” Chloe said fiercely, her eyes burning, and Max couldn't look away, even as she tried to blink back tears. “But I guess that doesn't mean anything! It doesn't _matter_ what would happen then!” She kept going, a hard edge to her voice. “So what _does_ matter to you, Max?”

The word burst from her before she could think about it, before she could stop it. “ _You_.”

Whatever Chloe had been about to say, that stopped her in her tracks. She blinked, and then stared at Max, her mouth a little open. Silence stretched between them for several seconds, and Max tried to hold it back, but she couldn't do it anymore. She blinked, and sniffled, and pressed her lips together, but the tears spilled over from her eyes and she let out a shuddering sob.

“I – I s-said,” she began, hardly able to get the words out, and Chloe was staring at her still, seeming horrified by Max's tears. “Wh-when w-we were f-facing the st-storm before.” She let out a gasping breath, and for a second her voice was steadier. “I, I told you you were – you were all that m-matters to me.” Max finished, and she couldn't look at Chloe now, couldn't bear it. She sank onto the bed, her hands clutching at her knees. “You asked me,” she continued, and a little steadier this time. “In – in my dorm, after I came back, and I was telling you about – about everything. You asked me w-why I would do this for you. That's why.” The last words were barely more than a whisper.

“Max...” Chloe began, and her voice was trembling.

Max let out a laugh. It sounded odd to her ears, and she heard Chloe stepping closer.

“But you don't remember that,” Max said, almost as if she were talking to herself. She leaned back, lying down on the bed, putting her arm over her eyes. She felt a hot tear roll down the side of her face, where it pooled in the curve of her ear, and she let out a shaky breath.

“Max,” Chloe said again, and Max felt her hand brushing her arm, and her weight settling on the bed, but Max shook her head before Chloe could say anything else.

Slowly Max removed her arm from over her eyes, staring up at the ceiling. If she looked over at Chloe now she would completely lose it. She followed the line of the Christmas lights as far as she could, watching the colors change on the white paint. She realized that the music was still playing, another song with quiet guitar – _what they call love is a risk/you always get hit out of nowhere and end up on your own –_ but she could barely focus on the words, couldn't even think of the song.

Chloe didn’t say anything, though Max could feel her move closer, lying beside her. Their arms touched at the elbows, sending tingles through Max’s body, but she didn’t want to move.

“How…” She began. “How can something be real…how can it have really happened, if I’m the only one th-that remembers it?” She let out another low laugh, fighting more tears.

She felt Chloe grab her hand, and their fingers threaded together, but Max still couldn't bring herself to look over at her. _All of those moments together were real, and they'll always be ours._ She could hear those words, like Chloe had said them just yesterday, but she hadn't.

“It was real,” Chloe said, squeezing her hand.

Max shook her head. “You c-can't know that.” She wiped at her eyes with the back of her hand, giving another shaky laugh. “You don't r-remember – ”

“Oh, fuck that,” Chloe spoke over her, and Max could feel her move even closer. “Okay, I know I wasn't there, and I – I don't remember, but _that's_ what doesn't matter, Max, don't you get it?” Her voice had gone quieter, and now Max couldn't help but look at her. Her face was so soft in the lights, nearer even than she'd realized. She was sure she could feel every breath Chloe took, as if she were breathing with her.

“It doesn't matter if I don't remember,” Chloe went on. “Or, or what timeline it was in, or whatever. I'm with you. Think about it,” she insisted, holding Max's gaze. “No matter what's going on or what's changed, we always find each other, right? That's what you've seen.”

Slowly, Max nodded, unable to speak, but Chloe didn't seem to be waiting for an answer.

“Even if I'm d – ” She hesitated for a second, and then went on. “Even if I'm d-dying, you're still here. You came back here, after everything, and – and you keep saying that some things never change, that _we_ never change – ” And she gripped Max's hand tighter in her own, rolling up onto her side, and Max still couldn't look away, even as she kept crying. “Because no matter what fucking reality we're in, we're together, Max, and we'll always _be_ together.”

Max just stared at her. Chloe's hand was warm over hers, and her heart was pounding loudly in her ears, though she could still hear the song playing on – _I wish for one more day to give my love and repay debts –_ and for a moment she felt like she was on that cliffside by the lighthouse again, standing on the edge, as if waiting to jump or go tumbling over.

She leaned forward, crossed the little distance between them, and kissed her.

Chloe stilled, and Max immediately pulled back, looking away from her.

“S-sorry,” she said, blinking rapidly to hold off her tears. “I – I shouldn't – ”

Chloe's hand was at her shoulder then, pulling her up onto her side, making Max meet her eyes.

“Like _hell_ you shouldn't,” she said, and then she kissed Max back.

For a second, Max couldn't move, couldn't process what was happening, and then Chloe tilted her head, opening her mouth, and it was like a current passed through Max's body, just under her skin. She gasped, returning the kiss a little too eagerly and knocking their teeth together. She winced, pulling back a little, feeling herself flush.

“S-sorry,” Max said. “I'm, uh, pretty new at this.”

Chloe gave a low chuckle. “Just need practice,” she said, and then her lips were on Max's again. She tasted like smoke, her mouth almost unbearably hot, but Max liked the burning, couldn't get enough of it, her fingers curled tightly in Chloe's shirt, pulling her closer.

Chloe's hand slid from her hip up to her back, and Max pressed against her at the touch, trying to learn what to do with her lips and her tongue based on whatever Chloe did. Every second she understood more: how to breathe, how to keep from bumping noses, and that sucking on her bottom lip made Chloe gasp.

In return Chloe pressed kisses down Max's neck, to her collarbone, and Max's head tipped backward to give her better access. She let out a shuddering breath as Chloe moved back up the other side and to her mouth again, and this time Max tilted her head so she could kiss her more deeply.

She knew their conversation wasn't over, and things weren't resolved. She knew that maybe this was the wrong thing to do, maybe it wasn't the right time or place, but she couldn't bring herself to care. It would all come back tomorrow, the weight of it crushing her shoulders, but for tonight...

She could do this just for one night, couldn't she? After everything, couldn't she lay there in the dark and kiss Chloe, even if it was only for a little while?

She could still hear the song echoing around them, telling her _this is the end, this is the end_ and maybe it was, or would be, and so Max kept kissing Chloe, held her tighter, because there was no one else in the world she'd rather be with to face it.

* * *

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As usual, constructive criticism is welcome. I don't have a beta for this story, so I'm sure there are errors and such that I don't notice with my own edits. 
> 
> Aside from 'Obstacles', the songs mentioned in this chapter are:
> 
> King and Lionheart - Of Monsters and Men  
> Play Crack the Sky - Brand New
> 
> If anyone's interested, I made an Life is Strange GMV with the "King and Lionheart" song, which you can find here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=27OZB66Hm8o


	7. Constants and Variables

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Notes at the end. Happy to be updating, and sorry for the long wait. Thanks so much to all the readers who have stuck with this story. Chapter title is a reference to Bioshock Infinite.

 

* * *

Max yawned, but didn't bother opening her eyes, and buried her face further into the pillow. She felt warm and cocooned, her mind still fuzzy from sleep. As the seconds passed, she could hear faint sounds that seemed somehow so far away from her: passing cars, birds chirping, and Joyce moving around downstairs (making breakfast, probably). Though Max could feel herself getting more awake, she still kept her eyes closed.

She didn't have to look over or move to know Chloe was next to her. She could feel the warmth radiating from her, could hear her soft and steady breathing. Max smiled, and still didn't make any move to get up. There was so much they had to do and so much they had to get ready for. She knew all of it was waiting for her the moment she opened her eyes. She wanted to stay there just a little bit longer. She hadn’t gotten this much sleep in what felt like weeks, though she was pretty sure she’d still had weird dreams. She frowned, trying to remember them, but the details were slipping away by the second. Her goal had been to prevent her nightmares, but forgetting them seemed like the next best thing.

 _Maybe Chloe will make a stoner of me yet_ , she thought. Compared to her other crimes it really didn’t feel like a big deal.  

Max sighed, opening her eyes and blinking in the morning light. She was too awake to go back to sleep, and it was as if her thoughts were beginning to snowball, coming in faster and faster.

She'd done what she'd promised herself she wouldn't do – she'd kissed Chloe, when everything was about to crash down on them and Chloe was still dealing with Rachel's death, and now...now what would happen? Chloe hadn't pulled away last night and it had been more than a quick kiss, more than a dare. Max bit her lip at the memory, even as her chest tightened with the realization that she didn't know what would happen.  

Before – in a time she no longer knew – standing by the lighthouse while the storm raged around them, she’d realized that she loved Chloe, that Chloe loved her, could maybe be _in love_ with her, but…This was a different Chloe, and that was why Max was supposed to wait. Get everyone out of this alive first. Give Chloe space to deal with Rachel and everything else. She was _not_ supposed to tearfully confess to Chloe like some lovestruck anime character…except that was exactly what she’d done.

Max groaned, running her hand through her hair, her face heating up.

 _You are all that matters to me._ Sure, it was the second time she’d said it in this reality, but she hadn’t had the chance to experience the aftermath before.

Chloe _knew_. Chloe knew and had pulled her back and kissed her again. She’d told her that the timelines and everything else didn’t matter, because they would always be together. She wasn’t the Chloe that Max had spoken to on that cliff, but that wasn’t important. Max felt the same way about her no matter what, and maybe…maybe this Chloe did too.

“Thinking deep thoughts?” Chloe asked, startling Max and making her turn around.

Chloe was leaning up on her elbow, her eyebrow raised, a slight smile on her face.

“N-no, not really,” Max said, shifting on the bed so that she was facing her. She opened her mouth to say something, and then hesitated, not quite sure what _to_ say. When Chloe had dared Max to kiss her they’d mostly dealt with it afterward by making jokes, and this felt too big to joke about.

“Right.” Chloe sat up and moved closer, crossing her legs. “What are you _over-thinking_ , then?”

Max looked down at the covers, her fingers tracing random patterns, willing herself to speak.

“Last night…” She began.

“What about it?” Chloe interrupted. “Not gonna do any rewinds on me, on you?” She laughed, but her voice shook.

“N-no!” Max assured her, looking up and grabbing her hand, giving it a quick squeeze. “I just…” She paused again and tried to think of how to phrase it.

“Having a bit of a Virgin Panic?” Chloe teased, smirking. “Shit, Caulfield, there was just a _little_ tongue – ”

Max lightly smacked her arm, rolling her eyes. “Shut up. Will you give me a second to answer, Miss Impatient?”

Chloe raised her hands in a ‘fine’ gesture, but she was smiling now, and that made Max feel better, made everything seem a little easier.

“I told you that we – that we kissed before, in – in my other reality,” Max began, and Chloe nodded. “Well, we actually – I kissed you after that, too. Before I came back here, when we were on the cliff with the tornado and…”

Her words from before seemed to come between them as she trailed off: _You are all that matters to me._

Chloe didn’t respond immediately. “Why didn’t you tell me?” She asked, and while she didn’t sound angry, exactly, there was still a slight edge to her voice.

Max let out a long breath. “I had a lot of reasons,” she said, looking down at their interlocked hands. “I didn’t want to just – just pile all of it on you, you know? I didn’t want to come up and say ‘I’m from an alternate reality, and by the way we kissed’. It didn’t seem like the right time.”

“Sounds like a bullshit excuse,” Chloe interjected bluntly, but without much heat.

Max gave a short laugh. “Yeah. Kinda was. But…I was – I was scared.” She admitted, and then let out a deep breath. “I’d – I’d just told you about Rachel, and, and you didn’t remember this whole week that I’d been through…” Chloe tensed at Rachel’s name, but Max kept going. “I was a different Max on Monday. And – and to me, you were a different Chloe on Tuesday. I didn’t know…I was scared,” she repeated, and she could feel herself starting to ramble. “I – I didn’t want to pressure you or – or take advantage of you while you were dealing with – with Rachel, and, and I should have told you everything but I just didn’t know how – ” She cut herself off, flushing. “I’m sorry,” she finished awkwardly, unable to look up at her.

“Yeah, you should’ve told me,” Chloe agreed after a few seconds of silence. “But there’s no way in hell you’d be pressuring me to do anything, Max.”

Max looked up at her. “No, you don’t understand. With my powers – ”

“I’m not talking about your powers,” Chloe spoke over her, and then frowned. “Unless you’ve been rewinding on me more than I know.”

Max shook her head, and Chloe went on before she could speak.

“Good,” she said. “Cause otherwise all that shit has nothing to do with us.”

“Rachel – ” Max began, and Chloe tensed again, but talked over her.

“Has _nothing_ to do with us,” Chloe repeated, a little sharply. “Fuck, Max, I had a crush on you when we were twelve.”

It took her a second to register what Chloe had said.

“Wait, really?” Max asked, her stomach fluttering.

“Well, yeah,” Chloe shrugged, and to Max’s surprise she was actually blushing a little. “You seriously didn’t notice?” She asked in disbelief.

Max shook her head. “Not at all. But I guess I – I didn’t realize how _I_ felt back then, let alone you.” She could feel her face heating up more, and there was a nervous knot in her stomach, but talking about all of this made her breathe a little easier, somehow.

“I didn’t know at first either,” Chloe said. “It wasn’t until – ” She stopped, and then finished: “Until you left. Then I knew.”

Max’s heart sank. “Oh Chloe. I’m so, so, sorry.”

Chloe shook her head. “No, that’s not – I’m –  I’m not saying that to make you feel guilty or, or whatever. I’m just saying that this – ” and she lifted their clasped hands as Max had done – “Has been around for a while.”  She hesitated, and then finished with uncertainty, glancing away: “It – it has for me, anyway.”

Max squeezed her hand. “It has for me too,” She assured her. “Like I told you, I just didn’t know it until we were standing on the cliff together.” _And she was saying that I had to let her die._ Max pushed that thought away. It hadn’t happened. She hadn’t let it happen.

“We’re not on that cliff now,” Chloe said, taking her other hand. “You're here.”

“I'm here,” Max echoed, smiling, blinking back a sudden rush of tears.

“You're not...you're not going anywhere?” Chloe's eyes flicked away for a second, and Max knew she'd probably meant for that to sound like a statement, too. Max scooted even closer to her and, after only a second's hesitation – she still couldn't quite believe that this was happening – leaned forward and gave her a quick kiss.

“I'm not going anywhere,” She promised when she pulled back, and a slow smile spread across Chloe’s face. For a while they just grinned at each other, and the last time Max had felt this content had been…well, in another lifetime, another morning like this.

Before either of them could say anything else, a knock on the door made them both jump, and Joyce’s voice came from the other side.

“Chloe?” She called. “Max? If you wanna eat before headin’ to Blackwell, you better do it now before it gets cold.”

“Okay!” Chloe replied, though all she did was flop backward on the bed, her arms out to her sides.

“Thanks, Joyce,” Max added, raising her voice a little to make sure it would carry through the door. “We’ll be out in a minute!”

“I’ll hold you to it,” Joyce replied in a slightly teasing tone, and a second later Max could hear her heading down the stairs.

Chloe was staring up at the ceiling, and Max waited a few seconds for her to speak.

“Got a lot of shit to do today, huh?” She said finally.

Max nodded. “Yeah. Tomorrow…” _Well, it all comes down to tomorrow, doesn’t it?_ She thought. “We don’t have a lot of time,” she finished, though she made no move to get off of the bed, and neither did Chloe.

“Says the girl who can hold time in her hand,” Chloe replied, and then she nodded. “Yeah. I know what you mean.”

Max didn’t really know what to say. There were too many thoughts swirling in her head; the storm was tomorrow and Jefferson and the Prescotts were going to get arrested within hours. In her week before she’d have been waking up with a Chloe who couldn’t move, a Chloe who could barely breathe and who lived each day in pain. And here she was, with the storm ahead of her again, more prepared though no readier, waking up with Chloe once more, but this time…

Max leaned over the side of the bed and picked up her camera, pulling herself up again only to lay down next to Chloe, holding the camera up above them in her right hand. _Photobomb!_ She could hear Chloe’s voice, right in her ear, but that wasn’t this Chloe, this reality.

“Here,” Chloe said, (and Max had to look at her, to make sure she’d really spoken) lifting up her left hand to help steady it.

They leaned together, Chloe’s head a little on top of Max’s, with Max more down by her shoulder. Max’s finger hovered over the shutter as she positioned the camera, Chloe’s hand keeping it steady but moving however Max’s directed.

“Okay,” Max said, and they both held their arms still. _Always remember this moment._ She would, just like she remembered all the others, even if Chloe didn’t.

 _Hell,_ Max thought as the camera flashed, _Maybe this time I’ll get to keep proof of it._

 

-

 

 _Oh man,_ Max thought as she reached the bottom of the stairs. _I could get used to that smell._

In fact, at one time she _had_ been used to it. As a kid, Joyce cooking breakfast had practically been a constant in her life. She half expected twelve-year-old Chloe to come bounding down the stairs – two at a time, never worried that she might fall – but the Chloe behind her had blue hair, and waggled her eyebrows at Max as she came up beside her.

Max giggled a little, and Joyce appeared in the doorway leading to the kitchen.

“You’re gonna be late if you’re not careful, young lady.” She said mildly, but she was smiling too. “Now hurry and eat your breakfast before it gets cold.”

“Yes ma’am,” Max said, while Chloe gave her a lazy sort of salute.

Joyce turned back to the kitchen while they headed toward the dining table, Chloe’s hand brushing Max’s but not grabbing it. She glanced toward Joyce’s back as they sat down, and Max thought she could understand at least a little of what Chloe was thinking. They hadn’t put a label on themselves, exactly. Chloe hadn’t called herself her girlfriend, and they hadn’t made any date plans, but things were different between them now. Were they just supposed to announce it? Casually hold hands at the table? Max really doubted that Joyce would have a problem with any of it. On the other hand, David she wasn’t so sure about; some of the comments he’d made about women didn’t exactly show ‘tolerance’. The fact that Joyce had married someone who would make such comments was also starting to make her feel a lot less confident about how she’d react to the whole thing, and Max’s stomach sank.

She didn’t know if Chloe was having the same worries, but reached over and gave her hand a quick reassuring squeeze anyway, before Joyce turned around and came out of the kitchen with their plates of food. Chloe smiled at her, and Max smiled back, kind of feeling like her heart was rising in her chest, while Joyce set their food on the table.

“Nothing like bacon and eggs after you’ve been up half the night,” Joyce said as she went back for her own plate.

Max’s stomach growled at the sight of the food, and Chloe was already digging in, but she took a second before eating to ask: “You were up half the night?”

“After David woke up the whole damn neighborhood,” Joyce confirmed, scowling as she came to sit down with them. “He still hasn’t been home.” She shook her head. “Won’t tell me what it is at Blackwell that’s keeping him this long exactly, but…” She trailed off, shaking her head again and letting out a long sigh. “Well, he says it’s important.”

“I’m – I’m sure it is, Joyce.” Max said. _More important that he even knows._

“Did he, uh, say when he thought he’d be done?” Chloe asked, her voice deliberately casual.

Joyce frowned at Chloe. “No, he did not. Said he’d explain it all later, but it had better be a hell of an explanation.” Max and Chloe exchanged glances at that.

 _Trust me Joyce, it is,_ Max thought. What she said out loud was: “Well, he, um, probably wouldn’t do all of this without reason, right?”

Joyce nodded, softening. “Yeah, I’m sure you’re right Max.” She hesitated, and then looked toward the door. “I’ll just feel better when he’s home, and can tell me what’s going on.”

“Hey, I’m sure Sgt – ” Chloe stopped and corrected herself, even before Joyce had the chance to shoot her a look – “ _David_ , will be back soon, Mom, okay?”

Joyce blinked at her. “You’re in a good mood. Usually you’d be complaining about him not bein’ gone longer.”

Chloe shrugged, smirking, shooting Max a quick glance. “I just…slept well, that’s all.”

Joyce raised an eyebrow, but she was smiling a little. “I’m glad one of us did.”

For a minute or two there was silence as they ate, but it was an almost familiar one. Again, Max couldn’t help but think of the mornings she’d spent in this house during her childhood. She could practically see William seated next to Joyce – across from Chloe, and they’d always make faces or wink at each other – and her heart ached at the memories.

“Max?” Chloe’s voice took her out of her thoughts. “Earth to Max.”

“Oh, sorry,” Max said sheepishly. “I was kinda zoning out. What were you saying?”

“Uh, nothing.” Chloe said, glancing away, her cheeks turning a little pink. “You just…had a weird look on your face, that’s all.”

Max’s heart felt like it was warming up in her chest. “I’m okay,” she told Chloe. “I was just thinking that I’m really glad I’m here. I missed mornings like this.”

“Oh, honey,” Joyce said, seeming a little choked up. “I agree. It’s just wonderful to have you here again.” She beamed at both of them. “Seeing the two of you together just feels right.”

“Yeah,” Max said, looking back over at Chloe, who hadn’t stopped smiling at her. “I think so too.”

 

-

 

As Chloe pulled into the Blackwell Parking Lot, a sense of unease grew in Max’s stomach at the sight of the school ahead of them.

Before, even the thought of Blackwell filled her with pride and eagerness. She couldn’t wait to go there, to become a better photographer, to attend Mr. Jefferson’s class…her breath caught in her throat, and for a moment she felt like she might choke as she remembered that first day.

The way her heart had pounded before walking in the door, because _he just had such great vision_ and she was going to learn _so much_ from him (hadn’t she learned, in the end?). It seemed like his gaze slid right to her (it had) like he’d seen something special in her (she wanted to throw up).

 _Maxine Caulfield,_ he’d said, smiling at her (like he’d been waiting for her, and she’d bitten the hook) as he told her she _had a gift._ Did he plan it then, as he led her to her seat (where he could always watch her) or had he waited until he was alone? Had he –

Sudden pressure on her hand took Max out of her circling thoughts. She realized Chloe was squeezing her hand, anchoring her to the present again.

“Max?” She asked. “Are you, um, hearing your own voice again?”

“N-no.” Max managed a short laugh, squeezing Chloe’s hand back tightly as she sank into her seat. “I’m – I’m sorry,” she said. “I was just, um, l-lost in thought.”

Chloe frowned, a little crease forming between her eyebrows. “What kind of thoughts?”

Max let out a slightly shaky breath. “Bad thoughts,” she admitted, and for a moment she just wanted to leave it there, but Chloe gave her a _look_ and she continued. “I was remembering how happy I’d been to come here, to – to go to Jefferson’s class, you know? Because I _admired his work_ ,” she said in disgust, her stomach rolling.

“Hey,” Chloe said sharply. “You couldn’t have known, Max. No one knew. And thanks to _you_ –” She leaned over to grab Max’s other hand, “– Jefferson is going to go down today.”

Max nodded, drawing small circles with her thumbs on the back of Chloe’s hands.

“Yeah. It won’t be much longer now.” She took in another deep breath and exhaled slowly. For a few seconds, they simply sat in silence.

“Max,” Chloe said, and Max looked up at her. She opened her mouth and then hesitated, eyes darting down Max’s face and then up again.

“What?” Max asked. “Was there so– mpf – ” Before she could finish her sentence, she was interrupted by Chloe kissing her.

Chloe’s hands let go of hers, and then moved up to her shoulders and behind Max’s neck, pulling her closer, Chloe’s fingers then threading back into her hair. It could have lasted a few seconds, or possibly a full minute – it was so easy to lose track of time doing this – and then Chloe pulled back.

“Wh-what was that for?” Max asked, her voice quieter than she meant it to be.

Chloe shrugged, seeming…embarrassed? Bashful? She was blushing a little, not meeting Max’s eye.

“I – I didn’t know what to – ” She hesitated, and then finished: “I just wanted you to feel better.”

 _Oh, Chloe_. Max leaned toward her, wavering for a second, still somehow a little unsure, before kissing her in return.

“I do,” she promised when she leaned back.

“Yeah?” Chloe asked, sounding a little breathless. Then her grin turned wicked, and she wiggled her eyebrows exaggeratedly. “If you wanna stay in here for a while, I bet I could make you feel _great_.”

Max gave a mortified gasp, her face heating up. “Oh my God,” she said, lightly shoving Chloe’s shoulder and trying to muffle her giggles. “Yeah, b-because I _totally_ want security to take us to Principal Wells for making out in the parking lot.”

“Right,” Chloe said, making a disgusted face. “Even with all this other shit going down, I’m sure Sgt. Dickhead would find a way to lecture me. It’d give these Blackwell assholes something to talk about though, huh?” She grinned again, and despite her earlier words Max was very tempted to stay in the truck after all, just for a few minutes. Even with her power, though, they had limited time, and too much to do.

So, she compromised. She kissed Chloe once more, lingering for several seconds, and then pulled back, and turned to face forward, still holding her hand.

“They’ll have plenty to talk about after today anyway.” Max said, looking out the windshield at Blackwell looming ahead of them. “And they won’t even know the half of it.”

For a while, neither of them said anything, or made any move to get out of the truck. No matter how long they stayed though, this week was still racing to its finish line, and if they had any hope of crossing it…

“Come on,” Max said, letting go of Chloe’s hand to open her door. Chloe did the same, and met Max at the front of the truck, immediately taking her hand again.

Max smiled, for a moment feeling like her heart would burst in her chest. Standing here with Chloe like this would have seemed impossible not all that long ago, but they were here now, together.

And together, they could face anything.

 

-

 

Kate and Warren were supposed to be waiting for them by the girl’s dorms, mostly to make it easier and safer for Kate; Max, Chloe, and Warren had all agreed that they didn’t want to risk her running into Jefferson or Nathan. Warren had even been walking Kate back to her dorm every night, and Max was glad for it. They both texted her to let her know when they were safe in their rooms, but a part of her would still feel worried until she saw them again with her own eyes. She wondered what it had been like for Chloe, for Rachel to be there one night and gone by morning. A sick feeling rose in her stomach, and she gripped Chloe’s hand.

Chloe gave her a squeeze back, and Max relaxed a little, then picked up her pace as the courtyard for the dorms came into view. She couldn’t keep getting lost in thoughts like that. There was too much they still had to do, and she needed to focus.

All the same, it felt like a knot in her stomach loosened when she spotted Kate and Warren standing by the front door of the girls’ dorms. They were talking, standing together, and didn’t notice Max and Chloe’s approach at first. Kate’s arms were crossed, and she looked a little hunched over. As they got closer, Max saw that Warren’s hand was on her arm, and it looked like he was the one talking to her. Kate nodded and gave him a small smile that widened as she caught sight of Max and Chloe. She waved, and Warren turned to do the same before he started talking to Kate again.

“ – that’s going on, it could be related. Nothing would surprise me at this point,” Warren was saying as Max and Chloe drew level with them.

“What could be related?” Max asked, looking at Kate in concern. “Are you okay?”

“I’m fine,” Kate replied. “I just, um, had a bit of a scare this morning, that’s all.”

Chloe’s eyes narrowed, glancing quickly around, asking in a low voice: “Did Nathan or Jefferson – ?”

“No, no,” Kate assured her. “It’s – it’s really nothing I should be worked up over. A bird crashed into my window this morning, that’s all. It – it startled me. Woke me up.”

For a second Max’s ears rushed with the sound of hundreds of birds hitting the window, and she shuddered.

“With those whales washing up on shore it all seemed a bit too much for coincidence,” Warren added.

“You’re right,” Max agreed grimly. “There are dead birds all over town, and who knows what else. Last time I thought they were signs of the storm, and it’s starting to feel like I’m right. Now that we know it was always coming…”

“Kinda feels like a warning, huh?” Chloe mused. “Nature telling you to get the fuck out.”

“Or an omen,” Kate murmured, gently touching the cross hanging from her neck.

“Animals sense things like that before we do, at least sometimes.” Warren said. “You know, like canaries in a coal mine.”

“That comparison doesn’t really make me feel better,” Max admitted. _Does that make me the miner letting them all die?_ She wondered. _No,_ she told herself. She wasn’t going to let them all die, and she had no control over the storm.

Warren started to apologize, but Max waved him off. “It’s fine,” she told him. “You guys got everything you need?”

“Yes,” Kate said, reaching into her bookbag and pulling out a large stack of flyers. “Are you sure you don’t want us to go with you?”

“We’ll get these out faster split up,” Max reminded her, but Kate shook her head.

“N-no, I meant – ” She glanced around and lowered her voice. “With Frank.”

“Yeah,” Warren confirmed. “We’re more than happy to be your backup.”

Max smiled at both of them. “Thanks –”

“– But we can handle Frank,” Chloe finished for her, slinging her arm around Max’s shoulders. “He’s not as scary as he likes to pretend he is.”

“And I’ve done this a few times before,” Max admitted. _Plus, this time I won’t have pissed him off by trying to shoot him,_ she thought, _though we won’t have his money either._ “Just get these flyers up around here and anywhere else you can think of, and make sure you’re as ready as you can be for tomorrow.”

“Yessir,” Warren said, saluting her.

“If you’re sure,” Kate said, looking between her and Chloe and smiling. “We’ll meet you back at Chloe’s when we’re done.” She passed half of the flyers over to Max, who put them in her own bag. People would probably be confused about all the papers with directions to storm shelters, but by tomorrow Max hoped it would help save them.

“And we’ll let you guys know when we’re done with Frank,” Chloe promised. She glanced around again, and then leaned in closer, keeping her voice soft: “Max said it shouldn’t be too much longer now, and we’ll see all of those bastards arrested.”

“Good,” Kate said darkly. “It’s no more than they deserve.” She exhaled a little shakily, and for a second seemed to be holding back tears. Warren put his hand on her arm again, giving her a concerned look, and she smiled in response. “I’m okay,” she said to all three of them. “I’ll be – I’ll be okay.” She took in a deep breath, squaring her shoulders. “And they’ll never hurt anyone else again.”

“No,” Max agreed. “They won’t. We’ll make sure of it.”

“They’ll be behind bars by tonight, just you wait!” Warren said, as if he’d been the one to see it happen before.

“Not even all the money in the fucking world will be able to get them out of this,” Chloe added, with more than a little satisfaction.

“You’re right.” Kate nodded. “After today…there’ll be no going – ” She was cut off by her own ringtone – a pretty piano theme – and she shot them an apologetic smile as she pulled out her phone. Her smile froze as she stared at her screen.

“Kate?” Max asked, a sense of dread curling in her stomach. “Are you – ?”

Kate shook her head, very quickly, her fingers tightening on the phone as it continued to ring. She hesitated for a second and glanced at the three of them before putting it to her ear.

“Hello, Mother.” She said in a soft voice.

Max sucked in an angry breath, her fists clenching as Kate seemed to fold into herself.

Warren frowned at her in concern. He gently touched her arm again, and then pulled back.

At Max’s side, Chloe scowled. “I swear if she gives Kate any shit,” she said under her breath to Max only. “I’m going to grab that phone and give her a fucking piece of my mind.”

“Not a bad idea,” Max replied in a low voice, not looking away from Kate. She was tempted to grab the phone herself, and tell Mrs. Marsh _exactly_ what she was doing to her daughter.

“Y-yes, it’s true I’ve missed class – ” Kate began, and then she stopped, wincing at something her mother said on the other end of the line. Her head bent down, shoulders hunched. “I – I’ve been sick.”

She straightened, suddenly, head snapping up. “No, Mother! I h-haven’t been – been partying!” She closed her eyes, taking in a deep breath. “I told you, I’ve been sick. I know, Mother. Yes, I p-promise I’m telling the truth. I’ll – I’ll make up all the work I’ve missed, and – ” Kate froze. Shakily, she nodded, her lips pushed together, looking for a second like she would throw up.

Max, Chloe, and Warren all stepped closer to her, but Kate held up a hand to keep them back.

“Y-yes,” Kate whispered, blinking rapidly, her breath hitching. “I know, Mother. Yes. Yes, I – I know what I have to do.” She stood straighter again, and her voice was a little steadier as well. “I – I will. Goodbye.” She ended the call, and put her phone back in her bag with trembling hands.

After a second of silence, Max stepped toward her. “Kate…?

“Oh,” Kate said, letting out a little sigh, her hands coming up to her face, covering her eyes. “I- I’m sorry.”

“For what?” Max asked, reaching forward and lightly touching her shoulder.

“Kate, you have _zero_ reason to say sorry,” Chloe said. “You haven’t done anything wrong, got it?”

Kate slowly lowered her hands, but didn’t look up at them.

“Well,” Warren said, hesitating for a second before grabbing her hand, “Technically there was that breaking and entering.” Kate gave a short snort of a laugh before he went on. “But – but anything that your mom was saying? She’s the one who’s wrong.”

Kate gave another shuddering breath, sniffling, and this time she did look up at them, unable to hide her tears any longer, but she was smiling too. “Oh,” she said, stepping toward them, her arms hooking around Max and Warren’s shoulders, moving them toward Chloe to include her in the hug.

“A f-few days ago, I – I never thought anyone would s-stand up for me like this,” she said, holding them tighter, and they looped their arms around Kate as well. “A-and wh-when she called I – I didn’t think I could face her alone. _Thank you_ ,” she finished, and it didn’t matter that the group hug was a little awkward: Chloe’s height kind of threw it off balance, not to mention Max was pretty sure Warren was stepping on her foot.

Instead, they all seemed to draw closer together, holding Kate tightly between them, until the bell for class startled them apart.

“Um, I guess that’s our cue to go,” Max said, stepping back and looking between Kate and Warren. “If – if you’re okay?”

Kate nodded, wiping at her eyes. “Y-yes, I’ll be fine. You two go on ahead.”

“Are you sure?” Max asked, and she nodded again in response. “Be safe, okay?”

“You guys too,” Warren replied, moving closer to Kate.

“Let us know if you need our help,” Kate added. “Please, Max?”

“Promise,” Max told her, giving her a quick smile and adjusting the bag on her shoulder.  

“Don’t worry,” Chloe assured them with a cocky smirk as she took Max’s hand and began to turn away. “We can handle Frank Bowers.”

 _That’s right,_ Max thought as they began to head back toward the parking lot. _Frank and the fliers and the arrests…and then we just have to face the storm._

 

-

 

Frank’s RV looked the same as ever parked on the beach. Though she had already changed a number of things about this week, she couldn’t help but feel the echoes of her previous one as she got out of the truck and stepped onto the sand. She’d been here before to talk to Frank – on this same day, even, which was kind of a surreal thought. She’d seen the dead whales dotting the coastline, and what would happen if they came on too strong or pissed Frank off. Even though it had been her idea, she didn’t like being here again, or the feeling of repetition it gave her. Everything had gone so wrong so quickly after they’d seen Frank in her other reality…

Max shook her head, and let out a deep breath, forcing herself to think about the upcoming conversation as she made her way up the beach toward the RV. In one hand, she held a small bag with dog treats and a toy. They’d stopped at the local pet supplies shop on their way over (dropping off fliers as they went) and Max hoped it would get things off to a smoother start since they didn’t have the money Chloe owed him.

She stopped, feeling her phone buzzing multiple times in her pocket.

“Holy shit,” Chloe said, staring at her own phone. “Max, it’s - it’s happening.”

Max’s heart leapt to her throat and her fingers couldn’t quite seem to press the buttons right to unlock her screen. But there it was: four texts - five, her phone vibrating in her hand again. Two each from Kate and Warren, and one from Dana.

 _Max, they’re arresting Jefferson and Nathan!!!_ Kate’s read. _We haven’t left the school yet, they’re in handcuffs!_

 _I wish you could see the look on Jefferson’s face right now,_ said Warren’s. _Wait, you can:_

With that, her phone buzzed once more, and she saw a slightly blurry picture of Blackwell’s hallway. Jefferson seemed smaller, somehow, his shoulders hunched, face pale, seeming to be realizing that there would be no charming his way out of the situation. The image was more than a little satisfying, and she read Dana’s text - _OMG Max you are missing the craziest shit_ \- with a smile.

“Two down,” Chloe said, still staring down at her phone, a little crease between her eyebrows. “It almost seems too good to be true.”

“We’re getting justice for Rachel, and Kate, and everyone,” Max said, and then paused. “You’re right. It doesn’t feel real. I don’t think any of it will until I’ve escaped this week.”

“Yeah,” Chloe said. “We’ve just gotta get a favor from a drug dealer that I owe money to, evacuate as many people as we can, and get out of town ourselves before we’re killed by a giant tornado.” She laughed, shaking her head..

“Well,” Max laughed with her. “When you put it that way…” She looked at the RV ahead of them and let in a deep breath. _Time for that favor from a drug dealer_ , she thought.

She held out her hand to Chloe, who smiled as she took it, and they finished the walk across the beach to Frank’s RV.  

They exchanged a glance one last time as they approached the front door. Chloe stepped in front of it and knocked twice, then moved back to stand with Max again, her arms crossed. 

Max heard Pompidu barking inside the RV, and Frank’s heavy footsteps getting closer and closer to the door until he pushed it open. For a few seconds, he simply eyed them, going down the few stairs to the ground slowly.

“Well, what do we have here?” He asked. “You lookin’ to sell me some cookies?” He laughed, but there was an edge to his tone as he answered his own question. “No. Chloe, here, is all about buying, isn’t that right? And borrowing what she can’t pay back.” He turned to Max. “Who the fuck are you?”

“This is Max,” Chloe said, gesturing toward her. “She’s my – my partner.”

Frank snorted. “Right. If you’re here, it must be because you have my money.”  

“Uh.” Chloe fidgeted. “Not – not yet, but – ”

“We have this!” Max interjected before Frank could speak, thrusting out the hand holding the bag. “Chloe told me you have a dog. I, um, bought these on our way here.”

Frank stared at the bag in her hand for a solid three seconds, and then gave a short laugh.

“What the fuck is that supposed to be? I don’t know what you’ve told your friend here, Chloe, but you owe me over three grand, and if you think some dog treats will change that, you’re about to get a rude fucking awakening.”

“It’s just a gift,” Max said, gesturing with the bag again. “A sign of – of good faith.”

Frank gave her another long look, and then took the bag.

“Good faith,” he repeated, opening it. “Well, Pompidu will like these, so I guess we’re cool for now. But you still owe me big, Chloe,” he finished.

“I’ll get you the money,” Chloe insisted. “It’s just…going to take a little longer than I thought.”  

“You’ve been saying that shit for a while,” Frank pointed at her, the threatening gesture somewhat offset by the bright purple bag in his hand. “So, if you’re not here with my money, what the hell do you want?”

“Just to talk,” Max said. “That’s all, we swear.”

Frank narrowed his eyes, then made a ‘go on’ gesture. “Then fucking talk. Oh, and I’m not getting you high.”

“We’re not here for that, okay?” Chloe crossed her arms, glancing at Max before going on. “We – we just…want to know what you’re doing tomorrow?”

“What, so I can get you high then? No deal,” Frank scoffed. “What I do is none of your goddamn business.”

“We told you, that’s not what we want,” Max said, hesitating for only a second before finishing: “But we…might want a ride.”

“A _ride_ ,” Frank repeated in disbelief. “Are you fucking – ? Does this look like a goddamn taxi service to you?” He gestured at his RV. “You owe me money, and you’re asking for favors?

“Max doesn’t owe you anything,” Chloe said sharply. “That’s all me.”

“Oh, that changes everything,” Frank snorted, and then narrowed his eyes at Max. “I don’t know who the fuck you are, and I don’t want to. The answer’s ‘no’.”

“Wait!” Max said before he could try to head back in his RV. “Please – ”

“What?” Frank crossed his arms. “More goddamn questions? Spit it out, I’m not a patient guy.”

“We know,” Max replied before Chloe could, a bit of irritation coloring her tone. After all she’d been through and seen the past week (weeks) she was long past done dealing with Frank throwing his weight around.

Frank gave a short laugh, though he seemed anything but amused. “Oh man, are you fucking _serious_? Is this supposed to be your backup, Chloe?”

“That’s right,” Chloe said, grabbing her hand.

“Yeah,” Max replied mildly, giving him a level smile as she threaded her fingers with Chloe’s. “You won’t like me when I’m angry.”

Frank glared at her. “What the fuck are you playing at, girlie? You think talking like that makes you tough shit?” He stepped aggressively toward her, and Chloe tensed at her side, but Max stayed where she was, staring back at him.

In that moment, it was all so clear to her. The way Frank spoke to her, the way he moved – all of it – meant that he thought she was afraid of him. That she _should_ be afraid. For all the jokes, Frank was the one who was dangerous when he was angry, and there was a time she’d been scared of him, but now –

 

There’s a blinding camera flash, and all she can see behind it is Jefferson’s smile, and all she can hear is his voice, but what she remembers in that moment is finding Rachel’s body. The rotting smell had been so strong she could taste it, gagging her. She’d known that Rachel had died cold and scared and alone; now Max was going to die _just like her_ –

 

Max shook herself out of the memory, focusing on Chloe’s warm hand to ground her to this reality. No, she wasn’t scared of Frank Bowers anymore.

“Huh? What’s your fucking problem – ?” Frank demanded.

“You are,” Max replied. “You’re my problem, Frank Bowers.”

For a second he just gaped at her. “Excuse me? You wanna say that again?”

“I said you’re my problem,” Max repeated easily, “Because you sold Nathan Prescott GHB.”

Frank’s eyes widened in surprise, and then he scowled. “I don’t know what the fuck you’re talking about. Chloe, don’t you or your ‘partner’ show your faces around here again without my goddamn money.” He turned to head back to his RV.

“You sold GHB to Nathan,” Max said as if he hadn’t spoken, taking a few steps after him, Chloe keeping pace with her. He stopped, and faced them again.

“I told you, I don’t know what the fuck you’re talking about!” Frank’s hands clenched, and he reached his free hand down toward his hip – where his knife was, Max knew – so she kept talking.

“Yes, you do! You know more than you want to admit, don’t you?” She didn’t take her eyes off of him. “Just what do you think Nathan wanted to do with GHB, huh?”

Frank’s eyes darted away from her, his hand in his pocket now. “I don’t – ”

“Do you know Kate Marsh?” Max asked, and Frank blinked, clearly surprised, his arm stilling.

“No,” he answered shortly. “And you’ve worn out my patience, so you get the fuck off – ”

“Off what?” Chloe asked flatly. “The _beach_?”

“I have had it up to here – ” Frank drew his fist out of his pocket, his knife flipping open. “ – with you little shits! Get the _fuck_ away from my RV before I make you!”

“No,” Max said, raising her right hand. “We’re not going anywhere.” She rewound.

She breathed in slowly and held it as her fingers strained in the air, grasping, pressure pounding in her head. She pulled on the band of time, slowing it bit by bit until it stopped. She exhaled a little shakily, and then lowered her hand, staring at the man frozen before her and trying to ignore her headache. At this point, she was starting to think it wouldn’t ever stop hurting, that maybe the pain, too, was something she’d just have to learn to live with.

 _This shouldn’t take long, though,_ she thought, letting go of Chloe’s hand as she walked the short remaining distance to Frank. No matter how used to it she was getting, moving through frozen time was still very strange, almost dreamlike somehow. The knife she took from him was definitely real, though, and she handled it very carefully as she took her place opposite Frank again. She could feel her hold on time – like a constant vibration in her mind – and she exhaled as she released it, the world rushing into motion around her, almost knocking her off of her feet, Chloe holding her steady.

“What the fuck…?” Frank whispered, staring down at his hand, and then he began digging furiously in his pockets, and glancing at the ground around him. “Where the fuck – ?”

Max straightened, holding the knife out for him to see.

Frank stared at it for several seconds, his mouth a little open. His eyes flicked to her face, and then to the knife again.

“I told you,” Max said, as if she hadn’t done anything, though while she spoke she felt blood drip from her nose and to her lip. “We’re not going anywhere. There’s more we’ve got to talk about, and you – ” She narrowed her eyes at him as she wiped the blood from her face – “ _You_ , Frank Bowers, are going to listen.”

He opened his mouth and then closed it again, continuing to stare at the knife in her hand.

“You said you didn’t know Kate Marsh,” Max went on, gingerly folding the knife closed, and at that Frank finally looked away from it and at her face. “But you should. You sold GHB to Nathan Prescott, and he used it to drug Kate.”

Frank’s face actually paled a little, and he glanced away from her again.

“Look,” he said. “I – I didn’t – ”

“What?” Chloe demanded, still at Max’s side. “You didn’t want to think about it? Lucky for you, ‘cause _Kate_ can’t do that.”

His head actually bent at her words, his fists clenching.

“You didn’t drug her,” Max said. “But you sold GHB to Nathan. What did you think he wanted it for?” She didn’t give him a chance to answer. “You _didn’t_ think. Well – well you’re going to have to fucking start. Kate has to live with what happened for the rest of her life, and so should you.”

She walked closer to him, Chloe staying with her, and Frank didn’t back away, but he pretty much refused to look at her, his hands still clenched at his sides. He was shaking a little.

“Kate wasn’t the first,” Max continued. She hesitated for only a second before she asked: “Just what do you think happened to Rachel?”

Frank froze, and then slowly lifted his head. His eyes were wide, and stared at her as if he’d never seen her until that moment. “What – what are you saying? Rachel – Rachel, she – you don’t – ”

“Rachel is _dead_ !” Chloe shouted, and all the color drained from Frank’s face. “She’s gone,” Chloe said more quietly, her voice breaking. “Because Nathan _fucking_ Prescott overdosed her.”

“N-no,” he shook his head, backing away from them again. “That can’t – that’s not – ”

“It’s true, Frank,” Max said, never looking away from him. “I – I wish it wasn’t, but it is. The people responsible for it are getting arrested as we speak, and details will be in the paper by tomorrow.”

He was still shaking his head, tears in his eyes. “No! No – I – I don’t fucking believe you!”

Max let out a bitter laugh. “By tomorrow, you will. And tomorrow…” She paused before finishing: “When you see that we’re not lying, that’s when we’ll want a ride.”

This time it was Frank who laughed: loudly and for a full minute as he sank to the ground. “A ride,” he repeated. “All – all this and you want a _ride_?”

“There’s going to be a storm tomorrow,” Max said, as if he hadn’t spoken. “A deadly one. And after you know that this is the truth…” she leaned over to look him in the eye. What had he said to her in that other lifetime, injured and also on the ground, while the storm raged outside? “You want to ‘enter His house justified’, don’t you?”  He stilled at these words, and she knew she’d remembered correctly. “Kate Marsh will be with us tomorrow. Help us and whoever else we can get out of here alive. Do the right thing.” She straightened, but Frank didn’t say anything, didn’t move.

Max walked away from him, tucking his knife in her pocket and taking Chloe’s hand. They walked along the beach in silence, and she only looked back when they reached the truck. Frank was still crouched on the ground, though now his hands were over his face.

“Do you think it worked?” Chloe asked. She was staring back at Frank too. Her face was still a little pale, eyes kind of red.

“I don’t know,” Max answered honestly. “I never did anything like this before, but…I think once he knows the truth, he’ll help us.”

“And if he doesn’t,” Chloe said optimistically, “We can steal a bus.”

Max laughed, and then winced, rubbing her head.

“You okay?” Chloe asked, gripping her hand and turning toward her.

Max smiled thinly, another wave of pain reverberating through her skull. “I – I will be. Freezing time is easier than it used to be, but…” she sighed, massaging her forehead with her palm.

Chloe frowned, narrowing her eyes. “You’re bleeding.”

Max reached up to her nose. “Oh – shit.” She tried to say something else to assure her, but suddenly was unsteady on her feet. She swayed a little, Chloe’s hands catching her around the arms.

“Whoa there!” Chloe kept her steady, leading her closer to the truck.

“Th – thanks,” Max said, stumbling a little. Her feet were too heavy, like something was dragging them down, but she managed to stay upright.

“Don’t pass out on me now,” Chloe warned. “Or I’ll kick your ass.”

Max gave a short laugh, though she knew from how tightly Chloe held her shoulders that she was worried. “It’s j – just your turn t – to sweep me off my feet.” She said as Chloe helped her climb into the truck. Max’s head slumped back, and she closed her eyes, hoping it might help the pain. She felt another drop of blood fall to her lip, and she wiped it away as she heard Chloe get into the driver's seat.  

Max frowned, realizing that wasn’t all she could hear. The voices were there again, buzzing in the background. She could make out the structure of fractured sentences, words, her own voice, and others. If she listened hard enough she thought just maybe she could see snippets of memory –

Chloe’s hand touched her shoulder, snapping Max back to the present. “Hey, I said no passing out.”

Max smiled, opening her eyes briefly, though her head was still pounding. “I – I’m awake. I think I just need to relax for a little bit.”

Chloe nodded, pulling out her phone to check the time. “We still have a while before we’re supposed to meet Kate and Warren. I think I know just the place we can chill.”

 

-

 

Walking the path up to the lighthouse was a little difficult  (though not nearly as much as it had been during her nightmare) but Chloe supported her every step.

As Max was sitting down on the bench, she felt her phone go off in her pocket. Her fingers fumbled a little as she picked it up, a message from Kate lighting up the screen:

_Finished up! Where are you guys at?_

_Lighthouse,_ Max texted back. _Come on and head this way, we can go to Chloe’s together._

“Kate and Warren are gonna meet us here,” she said when Kate confirmed they’d be there soon.

Chloe nodded, taking a hit off of the joint she’d brought in her pocket. She offered it out to Max, who considered it, but then shook her head.

“Tonight I will, probably,” she told Chloe. Hell, she’d likely need it just to calm down enough to sleep. Max looked out over the town. It was almost hard to believe that tomorrow a tornado would be there, ready to swallow up Arcadia Bay. But she could also see the whales dotting the coastline, could feel a chill in the air. The storm _was_ coming. There was nothing they could do to stop it, and tomorrow…

“Whatever you’re thinking can’t be helping your headache,” Chloe said, nudging her shoulder. “Your forehead is all wrinkled.”

Max laughed, even as it sharpened the pain in her head. “Sorry,” she said, pushing away visions of tornados in her memory. “You’re probably right.”

“Usually am,” Chloe said, matter-of-factly.

Max snorted. “Whatever you say.”

“Exactly.” Chloe grinned, and this time Max was the one to give her a playful shove.

They fell silent again, and despite what she’d said, Max wondered if Chloe was having just as hard a time trying not to think about tomorrow. For all their planning and conversations, it still felt like they didn’t really know what to do. _Because we don’t_ , Max thought. **_I_** _don’t._ They could talk about Frank’s help and stealing buses all they wanted; even though she’d faced the storm before Max knew she was barely more prepared for it.

“Still kind of hard to believe all of this is happening, huh?” Chloe asked.

“I can’t believe how fast it all seemed,” Max sighed. “Even though I’ve – I’ve done some of it before, lived this week before, it feels like it passed in a moment.” She paused, teetering on the edge of just blurting all her worries out at once. “It’s scary,” she admitted. “I – I feel like I sh-should know more about tomorrow, be – be more ready, but – ” She cut herself off, her eyes starting to sting, head pounding again.

“Hey,” Chloe held her wrist. “Max, without you we wouldn’t even know about the storm at all, let alone all this shit with Jefferson and the Prescotts.”

Though Chloe’s hand was warm, Max shuddered. The chill felt so much stronger now, and she could hear a faint howling in her ears, like rushing wind.

Chloe’s hand was on her back, and Max nodded at her, “I – I’m fine,” she said, even as the wind grew louder – she could feel it whipping at her now – and rain so icy it may as well have been hail. She closed her eyes, curling tighter into herself, trying to ignore it all, but it was as if she could feel the ground shift beneath her feet, Chloe’s voice calling out to her as she tumbled –

_– And Chloe’s hand was in in her own, fingers slipping as the wind threatened to tear them apart_

_Herself, as if she were in front of a mirror, speaking desperately: “ – Prescotts are going to – ”_

“Max!” Chloe’s hands held her shoulders, and she tried to stay in this moment, this reality –

_The gunshot rang in her ears, silencing everything –_

_The hospital gown seemed to tangle up her arms and legs, even as Chloe fought to keep her standing –_

_“ –because of you, they want revenge!” Her other self was talking louder, faster –_

“ – pass out on me!” Chloe was saying, her hold on Max tightening. “Please – ”

_“Please, please no – ” She was shaking a lifeless Chloe lying in a broken street –_

_They were huddled together, crouched low to the ground as lights flickered above them –_

_Kate and Warren were lying across from the wreckage, bent at the wrong angles –_

“I’ve got you,” Chloe said, her gentle fingers brushing back Max’s hair. “It’ll be – ” A noise behind them cut her off, and her eyes narrowed as her head snapped up to look –

_She could feel the press of the gun against her skull –_

_“Listen to me!” Her other self cried, and for a moment Max could sense her gripping her shoulders –_

“ – the FUCK away from her!” Chloe shouted, but she sounded far away, and the hands she’d felt were cold, pressing her to the ground –

_Nathan pointed the gun at her with shaking hands, tears in his eyes, his parents standing behind him –_

_The hospital was collapsing on top of them, there was no way out, no way –_

Sharp pain in her neck, sharper for a moment than anything, and she writhed in the arms that were pinning her down –

_She could see the storm clouds forming, funneling, twisting to the ground –_

Her head lolled to the side, and she could barely keep her eyes open. Haze was settling over her like a fog, even as she fought to move, to find Chloe, to push off whoever was holding her, but all she could do was stare at the patterned spiral above her. It was coming toward them – no, they were going up into it, rising higher and higher even as the world seemed to fade around her, and Max faded with it.

_She caught a glimpse of the clear sky, and held Chloe tighter, knowing it would all be over soon._

 

-

 

Her fingers were tingling.

It was the first thing she was conscious of noticing, what seemed to pull her forward from the blankness of before. As the seconds passed, the tingling spread through her body, but she couldn’t move. She struggled to open her heavy eyelids as sounds started to come to her: muffled at first, but familiar. _Voices_ , she realized, even though the words themselves made no sense to her; it was difficult to focus on them when everything was still so dulled.

She was lying on her side, cheek pressed to the cold ground, arms curled up close to her face. She tried to move her shoulders, but honestly couldn’t tell if she did it. Slowly, as if they were speaking a language she was only just starting to remember, the voices were starting to become clearer. Beyond the voices, Max could hear someone crying.

She tried to talk, but the sounds that escaped her barely resembled words. “Ch…ooo…eeeee…”

“Max!” Something warm moved up against her, and Max could feel hands on her shoulders, then the side of her face. “Oh, Max, you’re awake – ”

“Max! Max, are you alright?” _Warren_ , she realized. She could hear him moving off to her right, getting closer to her.

Max slowly opened her eyes, blinking to clear the haze that continued to hover over her. She shifted her head, just a little, still barely able to move, but the world started to come into focus, and she recognized her surroundings. Posters about wildlife in the area peppered the walls, along with nautical diagrams and a plaque detailing a brief history of the building. She hadn’t seen it since she was a kid, but the inside of the lighthouse hadn’t changed too much. There was a sinking feeling in her stomach, and she knew that something was wrong, but she couldn’t quite understand. Even as she stared at the people in front of her, her mind took a moment to put together what was happening, and then the realization burned like a bullet in her gut that she half remembered.  

Sean and Amelia Prescott were standing together, gazing down at her, but they weren’t alone. They were both holding guns: Sean pointing his toward Max, while Amelia’s was pressed against Kate’s temple. Kate was kneeling in front of the Prescotts, her hands bound. She was crying.

“K-Kaa…” Max began, trying as hard as she could to get her tongue to work. “Kaaate…”

“M-Max,” She whimpered, shaking. “I – I thought you were n-never waking up – ”

“Yes,” Sean Prescott said, stepping a little closer, and Max felt Chloe’s hold on her tighten. “I thought for a moment that perhaps we had given you too much.”  He hadn’t looked away from Max, his head a little to the side, as though he was studying a photo hanging on the wall.  

“We had to take that risk,” Amelia said, speaking very quickly. Her glassy eyes were fixed on Max, but somehow seemed to be looking right through her, or beyond her. “We don’t know what she does, what she could do – ” She stopped herself, and then laughed. It seemed to echo oddly in the lighthouse, the hairs on Max’s arms standing on end. “What she could do! Why couldn’t I see it?” Amelia asked, but she didn’t actually seem to be talking to anyone in particular. Her hair was coming out of its elegant bun, her dress was slightly wrinkled, and her hands holding the gun were trembling. Kate winced and closed her eyes as the muzzle shook against her head.  

“Miss Caulfield will have the answer to that,” Sean said, not looking away from Max. “Once she’s able to speak.”

Max’s eyes rolled up to look at Chloe, who was holding Max even more tightly than before. The drugs they’d given her – same as the ones Jefferson used, she was sure – were still flowing through her system. She couldn’t really move or talk, and that meant she’d barely be able to use her powers if at all.

Chloe was saying something, and Max focused on her words, her face, though it took several seconds for her to realize that Chloe was explaining what had happened. “ – came w-with Warren and Kate, and you were already passing out, I couldn’t stop them – ”

“We had to make sure you couldn’t interfere,” Sean Prescott went on, still pleasantly.

“ _Interfere_?” Chloe asked, laughing harshly and glaring at him. Max could feel her hands shaking. “What’s your ‘master plan’ here again? The entire town will be out for your blood – and – and people will notice we’re missing! You’re not going to get away with this, motherfucker!”

Sean and Amelia Prescott stared at Chloe, and for a moment Max was sure they were going to lose it completely as tension seemed to charge the very air.

Then Amelia Prescott laughed, tightening her hold on Kate’s hair, pulling her closer with a sharp tug.

“You’re right, Miss Price,” She said, but she was still staring at Max. “None of us are getting away.”

Max’s stomach sank – _fuck fuck fuck they’re going to kill us_ – and tried even more desperately to move, to do anything.

“If – if you were going to kill us you’d have done it!” Warren’s voice stuttered a little on the words, but he was up on his knees, and hadn’t turned his attention away from Kate.

“No, no,” Sean Prescott moved closer, pointing his gun at each of them in turn as he spoke.

“If we killed you, Miss Caulfield would have no reason to tell us anything. And now, she has three _very good_ reasons to.”

“T…tell…?” Max choked out, her eyes now flicking around the room. She had to think, had to do something, buy time until she could use her powers or –

“Yes,” Sean Prescott’s voice hardened. “We have questions for you, Miss Caulfield. After all, we wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for you.”

Chloe’s hands clamped down on Max’s arms. “What the _fuck_ are you – ?

She broke off as Sean Prescott aimed his gun at her, and for a second Max was sure her heart had stopped. She’d seen Chloe get shot so many times –

“That,” Sean Prescott looked down at Max, who was now able to wiggle her fingers, “Is what Miss Caulfield is going to tell us.”

“I don’t…know what…you’re talking…a-about…” Max said. Her tongue was still thick and heavy in her mouth, and it was as if her lips had forgotten how to form words properly.

“Don’t lie!” Amelia Prescott pulled roughly on Kate’s hair, and Kate cried out in pain. Fury shot through Max’s veins like adrenaline, and she clenched her fists. “All of it – everything I could see, can see, it – it was always you! Everything we built and you - YOU destroyed it all!”

“Wh – what – ” Max forgot all about trying to move for a second, unable to understand. She was talking like she knew Max had turned them into the police, but how could that be?

“I told you,” Amelia pressed the gun to Kate’s head again, and Max couldn’t breathe. “ _Don’t lie_. I saw you. Over and over and over again – too much – ” Her eyes seemed to almost glaze over as she spoke even faster, – “Always you, ALWAYS, sneaking and stealing and ruining everything!” her voice was rising, hand shaking on the gun.

“Amelia!” Sean Prescott shouted over her, and she stopped in the middle of her sentence, still staring in a vacant sort of way as he stepped away from Max, Chloe and Warren. He gently ran his fingers up her arm to her shoulder and squeezed it.

“Amelia,” he said again, more quietly, and Max was taken aback by the rather affectionate gesture.  

Amelia blinked and shook herself, straightening and focusing on Kate again.

“Of course,” She said, glancing at her husband, some kind of silent communication passing between them.

Max could feel strength returning to her. Her body was still heavy, but she could move her legs a little. As she shifted, she felt something hard in her back pocket. Her heart jumped in her chest, and then started pounding. Frank’s knife! It seemed the Prescotts hadn’t bothered to search her once she’d been drugged. If she could just get in the right position, then maybe…but she’d never be able to get the knife out of her pocket without the Prescotts noticing, not until she could use her power…

“Miss Caulfield,” Sean’s voice caught her attention again. He was still keeping his conversational tone, but there was an edge to it now. “As your friend here so _delightfully_ pointed out – ” He gestured at Chloe with the gun – “None of us are getting away, and we are short on time. You came to our house to find what you needed, but we acted quickly to stop you. We knew you would break into our offices, but even with us calling the police somehow you slipped right under their noses. Every step we’ve seen you take, and you manage to be several ahead of us.” He moved even closer.

“How did you do it?” He asked, his voice almost a whisper.

“H-how?” Max repeated, trying to think quickly, desperately. What he was saying – how could he know about what she’d done? How could they have been expecting them, called the police, almost caught them – how could they be asking these questions of her? “I…” She took in a deep breath. She had to keep them talking. “I can’t…I can’t t-tell you if I d-don’t un…understand.”

Sean Prescott’s eyes narrowed, and he tilted his head back a little. There was a long silence, Kate’s quiet crying all she could hear as the seconds dragged on. Then he smiled again, giving a short chuckle and a shake of his head, like he pitied her.

“Did you think you were the only one?” He asked her, as if he were questioning the logic of a child. “Then, I suppose you have been too…distracted to think about it.”

“Only one?” Max repeated, even as she started to understand, a heavy weight of dread settling in her stomach.

Sean continued to smile. “We all have ways of getting what we want. Some of us just have considerably more _power_ to make it happen.”

“Oh, fuck.” Chloe breathed.

“You…” Even though Max knew what this meant, she still couldn’t believe it. Chloe’s hands were gripping her arm tighter than ever. “You…”

“Us,” Sean Prescott corrected lightly. The hand holding the gun was trembling very slightly, in contrast with his calm voice. “So, let there be no more pretense, Miss Caulfield. I am going to ask you this question one more time.” He did not raise his gun, but rather moved a little to the side, so that Amelia could drag Kate roughly forward, as if they were taking center stage. Kate’s knees were bruised, maybe even a little bloody, and she gasped in pain, crying harder. “ _How did you do it_?”

Max tried to blink back the tears filling her own eyes. Could she rewind yet? She had to get Kate away from them, get Chloe and Warren out. Even with all her plans and preparing she’d fucked everything up all over again.

“Please,” She said, even as she wiggled her hands, trying to reach for her hold on time. It was as if it was just beyond her fingertips; she could sense it there, but couldn’t pull it back quite yet.

“Please, please…d-don’t hurt them. I’ll…” Max hesitated, trying to think of anything else she could do, but until she could rewind, she had no choice but to keep talking.

Someone else spoke before Max could, surprising all of them.

“N-no!” Kate cried out, shaking her head, even as Amelia Prescott pulled painfully on her hair again. “Y-you’re going t-to k-kill us,” she sobbed. “N-no m-matter what! M-Max sh-shouldn’t t-tell you a-anything!” She squeaked in fear as the gun pressed against the side of her head, closing her eyes for a second, but then she opened them again, hands clenching. “You’re g-going to p-pay for what you’ve d-done!”

 _Oh, Kate,_ Max’s heart ached with pride and fear.

Amelia Prescott shook her head. “That’s not the way it works, especially not with Miss Caulfield. Isn’t that right?” She was staring at Max, but there was something off about her gaze, like a camera that couldn’t focus properly. “We sacrifice all manner of things for the people we love. Against all logic or reason. No matter who we thought we were.”

“W-was Nathan _your_ sacrifice?” Warren demanded before Max could respond. His shoulders were shaking, and he was crying, but also glaring at the Prescotts without flinching. “Y-you’ve left him behind to take the fall with Jefferson – ”

Amelia’s finger curved around the trigger of the gun pressing against Kate’s head, and he stopped speaking at once.

“Don’t you dare…” Amelia breathed, “Talk about what you don’t understand. If it weren’t for HER – ” for a moment she pointed the gun at Max, her arm shaking – “Nathan would be with us! He’d have taken hold of his destiny and stood among the wreckage of this - this damned town! We’d have everything we ever worked for, and now…” She lowered the gun, laughing softly. “Now none of us will get away,” she whispered.  

Max stretched out her fingers, feeling time just barely out of her grasp.

“If I…if I tell you, you have to let them go,” she said, though she knew it wouldn’t work, knew they would be lying if they agreed. “This…you said this is all my fault, they – they have nothing to do with it!”

“Miss Caulfield,” Sean Prescott said, sounding somewhat impatient now, “I said there would be no more pretense.” He shook his head. “You have danced around this question, trying to buy yourself time. I think you’ve had enough.” He glanced back at Amelia, and gave her a quick nod. She moved the gun to the back of Kate’s head.

It happened faster than Max could understand it.

The sound seemed to hit them with as much force as the gunshot, a BANG that reverberated in her bones. Kate jerked – her eyes and mouth widened in surprise -  and then went limp, arms dropping at her sides, knees giving out beneath her as Amelia released her hair and let her fall.

There was blood on the floor, blooming out from Kate’s head like a halo, and even as Warren screamed she couldn’t believe it – it was a dream, a vision of another reality, she just had to blink and it would be gone, it wasn’t real.

Chloe was yelling, cursing, crying, but Max couldn’t understand any of it, there was no air in her lungs, no air left in the world, Kate couldn’t be gone, couldn’t be dead, it wasn’t real it wasn’t real-

Amelia Prescott raised her gun again as Sean began to approach Warren, and this action shot through her fear and fury and denial, and her hands strained, the joints in her fingers threatening to pop, everything else seemed to slow around her as she screamed – and then she grasped it.

It was like there was a wire in her hand, sharp edges digging into her palm – a thread of time? – but she just curled her wrist to pull it tighter. She panted, her throat raw, pulling and pulling on the wire of time as the people around her seemed to move by inches. Seconds crawled backward, and she pulled it as slowly as an anchor being dredged up from the depths of the sea. She stopped and held time still, just for a little longer, using the last of her strength to twist and pull the knife out of her pocket, then force it between Chloe’s hands. She turned forward while she let go, and the world spun as time began to move forward again.   

“ – matter who we thought we were,” Amelia Prescott was saying.

Tears leaked out of Max’s eyes, dripped down across her nose, and to the floor. She gasped, trying to push away what she’d seen, what happened – _No, it didn’t happen anymore_ , she told herself, focusing on Kate’s crying – wonderfully alive – face. Kate was alive. Warren and Chloe were alive, and they were going to stay that way.

She could feel Chloe moving behind her, hands hidden by Max’s back, carefully and quietly using Frank’s knife on her own bound wrists. Max had to keep talking, make sure the Prescotts didn’t notice, didn’t kill any of them, not again.

“My power…” Max knew she had to be careful, had to think. She’d rewind again if she had to, but she knew it would be even more difficult, and she honestly wasn’t sure how long she’d be able to hold it. _Keep them distracted,_ she told herself. _Even if it means telling them the truth – or some of it._

“It’s time,” she said, and both Sean and Amelia Prescott stared at her. “I can go back in time.”

For several seconds, neither of them moved, they simply looked at her. Clearly they hadn’t been expecting that, and Max pressed the advantage of their surprise.

“Th- that’s how we got away from the police,” she said. “A- and all of it. You – you’re right I n-never expected there to be anyone else l-like me.”

“Like you?” Amelia repeated, barely moving her lips.

Sean let out a sharp laugh, running a hand over his face; for a second it looked like he was crying.

“All these years of planning – _generations_ of my family – all of our work, and progress, and this – this _child_ gets a gift that would have given us everything?” He laughed again.

“Of course,” Amelia seemed to be talking to herself, as if she’d forgotten everyone else was there. “Of _course_. I saw you, always, everywhere, but never…” Her gaze sharpened suddenly, and for a moment everything seemed to freeze again as she put her gun up against Kate’s head. “How do you do it?” She demanded, pulling Kate further forward. “When can you go – how far back – ?”

“Just a few minutes,” Max said, as she felt a slight movement behind her. Had Chloe cut through her tape? She didn’t dare look away from Kate, or stop talking long enough for the Prescotts to notice anything. “It – it wouldn’t work,” she went on. “Even – even if you could convince me to go b-back…I couldn’t change anything for you.”

“You’re LYING!” Amelia’s fingers were like claws in Kate’s hair, threatening to rip it from her scalp.

Max could barely breathe, but she shook her head. “N-no! Please, it’s the truth! Please – !”

“If she could go back, she’d do it to save herself and her friends,” Sean spoke over her, raising his gun to point directly at her again. “I suppose this means we gave you just the right amount.” He smiled, showing more of his teeth than usual.

“It means you were wrong!” Chloe said before Max could respond. She moved her hands against Max’s back, a slight pressure that Max took as assurance. _Her hands must be free,_ she thought.

“Is that so, Miss Price?” Sean asked. “I’ll admit to not being as familiar with drugs as yourself – ”

“No, you were wrong about destiny,” Chloe said, and now Max tilted her head to look up at her. She was deliberately drawing their attention, antagonizing them. What was she doing?

“You said Nathan would have ‘stepped up and joined you in your destiny’,” Chloe went on, and now Max could feel her clutching something tightly in her fists. “But you let him hang around that psychopath Jefferson – or was that _destined_ too?”

Sean and Amelia hadn’t moved, hadn’t spoken, just stared at her.

“Jefferson was going to frame Nathan for everything! He even has proof that you knew about his dark room! And then…” Chloe laughed, as if it was all a hilarious joke. Her voice was strong, but Max could feel her shaking. “He – he would have killed Nathan! You want to – to ramble on about destiny? You said all of this was because of Max, but you – you brought this all on yourselves! Your ‘careful planning’ didn’t take that into account, did – ”

She stopped as Sean levelled his gun at her.

“And how exactly would you know that?” He asked quietly. The silence that followed almost felt like a solid thing, thickening the air. “Amelia,” he said when no one answered, as if he were asking her opinion on the weather, “I think Miss Price would be more… _productive_ in your hands.”  

“N-no, wait – ” Max tried to move closer to Chloe, whose palm went flat on her back, rubbing it for a second in a soothing motion. Was this – was this what Chloe had wanted? Getting Kate out of Amelia’s grasp was good, but Chloe going in her place wasn’t any better as far as Max was concerned.

Amelia pulled Kate over to Warren and deposited her roughly next to him. Kate nearly fell over, knocking against Warren, who held her up as best as he could with his own hands bound. Max could see him whispering what she assumed were words of comfort as Kate continued to cry.  

Chloe stilled as Amelia approached, then stood and walked obediently to where Amelia had held Kate, the gun against the base of her skull. Max could see now that Chloe’s hands were clasped tightly in front of herself, arms bent as if she were praying, her fingers threaded together. _She’s hiding the knife_ , Max realized, _as well as the fact that her tape has been cut._

Chloe kneeled, keeping eye contact with Max. Her eyes were red, but she gave a small smile. Max could see the tension in the line of her shoulders: she was waiting for the right moment, and Max had to be ready too.

“Chloe,” she said, finally able to speak normally again. “It’ll be okay.” _I believe in you. I’ll be ready, whatever happens._ She hoped Chloe could understand the unspoken words.

Chloe’s smile widened just a little, though she paled as Amelia shifted the gun, pushing it hard against her. Max’s stomach churned, but she couldn’t think about Chloe getting shot. She had to breathe, had to focus, had to trust in Chloe.

“We should have started with her,” Sean said, almost conversationally. He laughed softly. “She was there in your head, always. Well,” he shrugged, walking closer to Max. “Hindsight. I suppose you know all about that, Miss Caulfield? I could see it on your face, when you came to our house. You knew you shouldn’t have come. You should have learned your lesson then.”

“ _You_ didn’t,” Max spat back at him, still watching Chloe.

Sean Prescott stopped and bent over her, his gun inches from her face. Max at last looked up at him; for a moment, with the light framing and shadowing his face, she could see Jefferson there instead. She blinked, and Sean came into focus again.

“You’re right,” he said softly. “We should have killed you then.”

“Th-then why d-didn’t you?” Warren burst out. His voice shook, but rang loudly in the room, startling both Max and Sean Prescott, who turned to look at him.

Warren was on his knees, Kate leaning against him. They were both still crying, but Warren seemed ready to leap to his feet.

“Why kill what you can twist to your advantage?” Sean asked quietly, standing straight again. Though he was answering Warren, was was still staring down at Max. “I thought with Miss Caulfield distracted, with the police there to catch you - ” he stopped, and then gave a quick laugh. “I suppose you’re right. We didn’t learn our lesson either. Not until it was too late for us.”

“So much for your destiny,” Max said, eyes flicking from Sean to Chloe. She could feel the moment coming, sense it like a charge in the air.

Chloe moved, and in her peripheral vision Max saw the knife in her palm, saw her twist her wrists apart to free them from the tape.

“And yours,” Sean Prescott murmured, levelling his gun, his hand steadying as he aimed -

Chloe stabbed upward into Amelia Prescott’s hand, forcing the gun away from her skull.

Amelia’s finger pulled the trigger as she screamed, the _BANG_ shattering the air even as the gun clattered out of her injured hand and to the floor.

Sean whirled around while Chloe snatched the gun from the floor, but Warren had staggered to his feet and charged; he crashed into Sean, knocking him off-balance. Amelia stumbled backward, cradling her injured hand as Chloe advanced on her, gun held high and aimed right at her.

Two more gunshots cracked the air, and Kate screamed Warren’s name.  

Max’s head snapped back to Warren, staring in horror as she realized his charge had done nothing to stop Sean’s gun. He’d been hit in the shoulder and the stomach, the blood was spreading across his shirt like dye, and unlike Kate he started to realize what was happening, his face contorting in pain and fear -

Max thrust her arms up without thinking, curling her wrists and straining her fingers with all of her strength, feeling like her bones were ready to pop out of their sockets. She grasped time, pulling it backward before Warren’s knees even hit the ground.

His shoulders rolled upward, he stood slowly, the bloodstain shrank until it vanished, and then he was back by Kate on the floor. Max could see Chloe’s knife pulling out of Amelia’s hand, and she let time flow again.

Everything rushed together; her head was pounding and her stomach rolled with nausea. Still she lunged forward half blindly at Sean Prescott’s legs. Amelia screamed behind him as Chloe stabbed her, and Seam stumbled as Max knocked into him: he almost fell over, but managed to catch himself. He kicked out at Max, hitting her in the chin, snapping her teeth painfully together.

In the next second, Warren rammed into him, this time knocking both of them off of their feet, the gun skittering out of Sean’s hand when it hit the ground.

Max swayed as she stood, and then staggered toward the struggling Warren. Sean had him pinned now, his hands closing around Warren’s throat -

“Let him _go_!” Kate shouted, and Max stopped in her tracks. Kate was holding Sean’s dropped gun. Her knees were bleeding, she was trembling from head to toe, tears dripping down her chin.

“I s-said,” Kate moved toward Sean, who slowly began to raise his hands, “L-let him _go_.”

Max walked closer to Kate, still a bit unsteady on her feet. “Kate,” she said, holding out her bound hands. “I can take that.”

Kate hesitated, glancing at Warren as Sean Prescott stood and stepped away from him, and then nodded, quickly - and with some clear relief - handing the gun over to her.

It was heavier in Max’s hands than she remembered David’s gun being, but that might’ve just been because she was exhausted and the drugs were still wearing off.

Still, she held the gun steady and carefully, focusing on Sean Prescott.

“Move.” She told him, jerking her head toward where Amelia was slumped against the wall, Chloe keeping her there at gunpoint. “Over there. Now.”

He did as she said, his hands a little up in the air. Max followed behind him, stopping next to Chloe but not taking her eyes off of him. She knew he and Amelia would still do anything to try to gain the advantage, and she wasn’t about to give them the chance.

“You okay?” Chloe asked, shifting to stand closer to her.

Max nodded, though she was pretty sure her nose was still bleeding. “Yeah. You?”

“Fucking peachy.” She replied.

Max smiled, unable to help chuckling a little, glancing away from Sean to see that Chloe was smiling too. Max wanted nothing more than to kiss her, tears welling up in her eyes as she really took in Chloe’s face for the first time since she’d woken up. Her lip was bleeding, and there was a bruise on her cheek, but she was alive. They were _all_ alive.

“You okay Warren? Kate?” Max called back as she forced herself to focus on Sean and Amelia again, keeping the gun in her hand as steady as she could. Sean was sitting beside his wife, examining her bleeding hand, which Max noticed still had Frank’s knife in it.

“Y-yeah,” Warren said as he and Kate come up on Max’s left to stand level with her and Chloe.

“I-I’ll b-be okay,” Kate said. She was still crying, and she had her arm around Warren’s waist, while his was around her shoulders, both clearly helping to support each other.

“M-Max, Ch-Chloe, I- I’m so s-sorry,” She went on. “They - they surprised us, a-and - ”

“I think - I think they were following us,” Warren said. “And I think - ” he paused, and Max saw him glance at Amelia. “I think they were ready for us. It’s not your fault, Kate.”

“It’s no one’s fault but these fuckers,” Chloe said, jerking her head toward the Prescotts. She had barely turned her attention away from them, though Max saw her glance at Warren and Kate every few seconds, as if assuring herself that they were there.

“She - they - texted you f-from m-my phone,” Kate’s head bent. “A-and you g-got hurt trying to st-stop them g-grabbing me - ”

“Yeah, lot of good that did.” Warren squeezed her shoulder. “You’re hurt too.”

Max wanted to hug them both - and have a nice long cry herself - but there would be time for that later.

“Warren’s right,” She assured Kate, shifting the gun to one hand to grab Kate’s with the other.

“You didn’t do anything wrong. You were so brave, Kate.” For a moment she could see her lying dead on the floor of the lighthouse again, and bile rose in her throat, but she pushed the memory away.  

“All of you,” she said as she let go of Kate’s hand to hold the gun steady again. “You - I - I couldn’t have gotten through this without you guys. Thank you.”

“Pretty sure we’ve got _you_ to thank,” Chloe said, as if she were correcting an obvious misunderstanding. “I’m guessing there were some rewinds.”

Max closed her eyes for a second, trying in vain to not see the fresh memories as clearly as if they were happening again. “A - a bit, yeah.” She shook her head. “But honestly I - I could barely do anything. You - all of you - taking action like you did...that’s what really saved us.”

“Okay, so we all saved each other,” Chloe said, somewhat impatiently. “What the fuck do we do now?”

“We sh-should call the police,” Kate said immediately.

“Yeah, get _them_ a cozy cell between Jefferson and Nathan,” Warren added with contempt.

Max nodded. “Call David,” she told Chloe. “Tell him...tell him Sean and Amelia Prescott attacked us at the lighthouse. We’ll figure out how to explain it all when he and the cops get here.”

“Got it.” Chloe started to lower her gun, and then hesitated, narrowing her eyes at the Prescotts.

“Slide us that knife,” she said, raising the gun a little higher.

For a moment Amelia glared at her. Sean didn’t look at Chloe at all, just touched the handle of the knife very gently, but made no move to pull it out. He didn’t need to: within seconds Amelia did it herself. She hissed in pain,  a little blood flicking up from the knife and splattering across her cheek. She placed the knife on the floor and slid it across to Chloe, where it stopped just short of her boot.

Chloe quickly picked it up and put it in her pocket. “Warren,” she said. “You feeling up to holding this and watching these fuckers while I call David?”

“Of course,” Warren said immediately, accepting the gun as she passed it over to him. Max didn’t know if he’d ever shot one before, but he definitely looked like he was willing to. Bruises were starting to form around his neck where Sean had been choking him, and Max’s own throat tightened at the sight.

Chloe stepped back just a little as she put her phone to her ear, but Max could tell she was still watching Sean and Amelia.

Max didn’t like how quiet they were. They hadn’t said anything to each other, hadn’t made any kind of move, but Max rather thought that they were waiting for the right moment, just as she had been. Amelia’s bleeding hand was pressed against her chest, Sean’s hand over top of it, maybe to stem the blood, or to comfort her, or both.

“We’re at the lighthouse,” Chloe said, taking Max out of her thoughts. “And, uh, some shit’s happened, and we need you to get the police and come here right away.”

. Max glanced at Kate and Warren. Warren was keeping the gun steady, and Kate was still standing next to him and leaning on him a little, but she was also watching Sean and Amelia, no longer crying.

“David, David - yes, we’re okay,” Chloe went on quickly. “Kinda beaten up, but you’ve _gotta_ bring the cops okay? Sean and Amelia Prescott are here, they attacked us - ”

She stopped, and though she couldn’t quite make out the words, Max could still hear the sound of David’s panicked voice, and Chloe hurried to speak over him.

“Look, David, please, I - _we’ll_ \- explain when you get here, just - just hurry.” Chloe ended the call before he could ask more questions, and put her phone back in her pocket. She moved right up next to Max again, crossing her arms. “Now what?”

“It won’t take long for David and the cops to get here,” Max said. “But that doesn’t mean we won’t have time to get some answers of our own.” She walked a little closer to the Prescotts, keeping the gun in her hand leveled at Sean, ignoring how heavy it was getting.

“Now,” she went on quietly, “We have questions. And you’re going to tell us _everything_.”

* * *

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Again, sorry for the long wait on an update. I won't promise that there won't be a wait for the next chapter, only that I will try to get it out more quickly. Thank you so so much to everyone that has continued to comment, bookmark, and give Kudos. It all means more than I can say, and I hope you enjoyed this chapter. I also don't have a beta, so I'll still be going over this chapter and editing it during the next few days. 
> 
> Additional notes:
> 
> \- Frank. I view Frank similarly to how I view Nathan. Frank is a complicated character and has done both good and bad things, but the bad outweighs the good and he's got a hell of a lot to do to even begin to make up for it. As I brought up in the chapter, he may not have known anything about the Dark Room, but he was willingly selling GHB. He couldn't have been naive about the kind of things it would be used for. That's not even getting into him hooking up with a teenager. So I have far less sympathy for Frank than a lot of other fans seem to. Doesn't mean I think he's unredeemable though.
> 
> \- Max's line about how Frank wouldn't like her when she was angry. If you were even slightly involved in fandoms in 2013, it was impossible to escape the huge influx of The Avengers fandom after the movie came out. With all the other references Max makes, it seems to fit right in to me. 
> 
> -The lighthouse scene has gone through many different versions, and is one of the reasons why it has taken me so long to update, because I kept having to rewrite it. The original one didn't even have Warren and Kate there, or Amelia Prescott. It was just Sean confronting Max and Chloe, and there was going to be a moment where the Spirit Doe showed up as a warning to Max before Sean could shoot her. I think it works much better now, and I hope all of you found it to be tense. 
> 
> -That being said, Sean and Amelia Prescott having powers is definitely something I've had planned since the beginning. A lot more will be explained about it in the next chapter, but I've been doing my best to hint at it since the start. If you go back you might be able to find those hints now, or at least some of them. 
> 
> Again, thanks so much to everyone for reading, and waiting for this update. I hope this chapter is at least somewhat worth it.


End file.
